West Bromwich Albion 2 Plymouth Argyle 1

Only West Bromwich Albion could allow a performance of arrogant ease to descend into one of nervousness but, at The Hawthorns last night, they just about held on.

Two goals by Diomansy Kamara were an appropriate reward for an hour of controlled creativity from Albion but, somehow, just when Plymouth seemed disillusioned with being outplayed, it all changed. Rory Fallon pulled a goal back for the visiting team in the 70th minute and in the time that remained, Albion looked ill at ease and desperate for the final whistle.

Nevertheless, this was Albion's fifth successive victory and provided proof of their ability to grind out results when the situation demands it. They still trail leaders Derby by seven points, but there is a feeling that Albion's momentum will be vital when winter turns to spring.

There was one change in the Albion team that marmalised Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup last Sunday and it was rich in significance. Dean Kiely, signed from Portsmouth on Tuesday, made his Albion debut in goal after Pascal Zuberbuhler was not deemed worthy of a place on the substitutes' bench.

Albion's way of solving the problem that is Russell Hoult was to yesterday let him sign for Stoke City. Hoult, arguably Albion's best goalkeeper in a generation, was suspended by the club last Friday after unfortunate incidents in his private life were made public.

Not that Albion needed a goalkeeper for the first hour last night. For the most part, they were so intoxicated by their own superiority, so confident after four successive victories, that Plymouth were a mere sideshow to the main event.

In this case, the main event was not the match but Kamara himself. He boasts a swagger that would be better suited to the catwalk of the Premiership and it is to the credit of manager Tony Mowbray that the striker has the freedom to express.

From the moment, in the 11th minute, that Kamara evaded the challenges of two Plymouth defenders before running out of space inside the penalty area, it was obvious that he would be the difference between the two teams. The Senegal international came close to scoring two minutes later but his first-time shot from close range, after a fine cross by Jason Koumas, went wide of the right-hand post.

Koumas was also active, shooting over the crossbar from long range in the 23rd minute and wide of the far post five minutes later. So impressive were Albion that Plymouth, full of good intention but lacking style, were initially restricted to speculative shots that were never likely to cause problems. Kiely could hardly believe his luck.

It was no surprise when Albion took the lead in the 40th minute. A header inside the penalty area by Paul McShane, the Albion right back, was handled by Akos Buzsaky, and Kamara scored with a low shot from the resulting penalty.

Plymouth did not see the need to man-mark Kamara. In midfield, they were too busy trying to stop Richard Chaplow from dictating the pace, and up front they were struggling to ruffle Curtis Davies and Neil Clement. For Albion, the midfield players were producing triangles that defied mathematical logic. Chaplow was brilliant and overshadowed only by Kamara. There was a feeling of inevitability when Kamara registered the second goal, in the 50th minute, after taking the ball beyond the flailing arms of Luke McCormick and scoring with a low shot from a tight angle.

If there was a problem for Albion, it was that this match was too easy, and that was not to always their advantage. As they continued to miss chances, there was a feeling that Plymouth might gain in confidence and benefit from Albion's temporary descent into a slumber.

And so it proved, in the 70th minute, when Rory Fallon found himself in space inside the penalty area and, after controlling the ball with his chest, he splendidly hooked the ball home from 18 yards to register his first goal for Plymouth.

The warning was clearly ignored by Albion and, with nervousness encircling The Hawthorns, Plymouth should have equalised. Kiely did well to save when Sylvan Ebanks-Blake broke clear inside the penalty area in the 82nd minute and the same player lifted the ball over Kiely with three minutes left before Neil Clement spectacularly cleared the ball off the goal-line.

Albion had just about done enough to secure a deserved if nervy victory. It was supposed to be easier than this.

Scorers: Kamara (40, penalty) 1-0; Kamara (50) 2-0; Fallon (70) 2-1.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; McShane, Davies, Clement, Robinson; Koumas (Gera, 60), Chaplow, Greening, Koren; Kamara (MacDonald, 75), Phillips (Carter, 85). Substitutes: Daniels, Hodgkiss.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE (4-4-2): McCormick; Aljofree, Seip, Connolly, Capaldi; Norris, Buzsaky, Nalis, Halmosi (Sinclair, 53); Gallen (Fallon, 60), Hayles (Ebanks-Blake, 73). Substitutes: Timar, Summerfield.
Referee: M Thorpe (Norfolk).
Bookings: Albion — Robinson, Chaplow (fouls); Plymouth — Aljofree (foul).
Attendance: 19,894.

>> MORE ALBION NEWS