Ten-man West Brom held out to beat spirited QPR 1-0 at the Hawthorns and maintain their place in the Sky Bet Championship play-off places.
Adam Armstrong’s 40th-minute penalty earned Albion all three points, but Darnell Furlong’s red card for a suspected elbow on Koki Saito just before half-time left them with 10 men for the second half.
In a game of few chances, Saito became a central figure as the Japanese winger wasted the visitors’ only two chances.
Victory was West Brom’s fourth in five home games since head coach Tony Mowbray returned to the club, extending their unbeaten run to four games in the process.
QPR suffered their sixth defeat in eight matches and their third in a row.
Saito had a first-half chance, but his stooping header from a corner was blocked.
Albion’s opening opportunity came when Mikey Johnston cut inside his marker only to fire wide from an acute angle.
Rangers remained a threat and Jimmy Dunne drilled into the side-netting after the hosts failed to clear a corner, with the visiting fans thinking he had scored.
Baggies midfielder Jayson Molumby was the first of eight players to be booked after hauling back Yang Min-hyeok.
The only goal came from the spot when Armstrong fired home his second goal for the club despite goalkeeper Paul Nardi getting a hand to the ball, diving to his right.
It came after Jack Colback shoved Molumby to the ground from Tom Fellows’ pull-back.
Albion were then reduced to 10 men in the third minute of time added on.
Furlong was sent off for violent conduct for a suspected elbow on Saito as they tussled for a goal kick.
Moments later – and with tempers still high – Molumby needed to be careful after attempting to lift Saito up by his shirt when the winger lay grounded.
QPR made two half-time substitutions, bringing on Liam Morrison and Alfie Lloyd for Paul Smyth and Steve Cook, while Albion introduced Mason Holgate for Fellows.
The away side missed a great to chance to equalise in the 51st minute.
Ilias Chair’s cross had been tipped into the air by goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith and Dunne headed it back into the danger area, but Saito could only send his diving header wide.
Torbjorn Heggem missed a chance to seal the points for Albion when he sent an unmarked diving header wide from Alex Mowatt’s free-kick.
As home side tried to protect their lead, striker Daryl Dike replaced Armstrong for his first Hawthorns appearance since February.
Saito was denied an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time when his low drive was smothered by Joe Wildsmith, before he drilled wide with the game’s final chance.
