Albion 2, Barnsley 0

So much talk has been about the striker Albion did not sign at the end of the transfer striker.

Rather than the one they had already reclaimed who could make such a difference.

The question is have they got enough firepower, at least until January, to get by? The answer is Glenn Murray.

His double on his return to Chris Hughton's Championship line-up in Albion's most commanding performance to date lifted his tally to five goals already in seven-and-a-half appearances.

The half represents Murray's two substitute outings in the previous two of three straight clean sheet victories now in the league, against Huddersfield and Burton, when Hughton left him out, citing a slight dip in Murray's contribution.

A facile victory over Barnsley emphasised that if he gets the right kind of service from the wingers he will score goals, lots of them. It might have been four in this match alone.

His total so far is still his best start to a campaign since seven in the first seven games for Crystal Palace in 2012-13.

He ended up with 31 that year, firing Palace to the Premier League at the Seagulls' expense in the play-off semi-finals.

It is asking a bit much to repeat that but Murray is already well on course to outstrip the 12 goals the departed Bobby Zamora and James Wilson netted last season in 51 appearances between them, a fair chunk of which were from the bench.

Hughton agreed, to an extent, that Murray's mini-drought following three goals in his first two matches at the Amex against Nottingham Forest and Rotherham was connected to the supply, or lack of it.

He also said: "Who ever plays up front, what you want is all-round performances. It's not just about scoring goals.

"You know that when you go to some places and in some games it's going to be far more difficult, so it has to be about the contribution you make to the team.

"You've got to be able to create some of your own chances but since he came that's his best all-round performance - the goals, his hold-up play, the runs.

"I thought he went through a few games where he wasn't at those levels and even though we tried to strengthen that area I have got competition. Sometimes you have got to make decisions, rest people, demand more.

 

"At this stage of the season to have scored five goals is a very nice return.

"You want a performance level. He won't be able to do that game in, game out, because of the nature of this league and the amount of games and the demands on a striker.

"But it was really nice to see, I really enjoyed his performance."

The competition referred to by Hughton is fairly limited up front. Playing Anthony Knockaert, then Jamie Murphy, as a No.10 against Huddersfield and Burton did not pay off.

There is more chance of Albion scoring when Murray is on the pitch than when he isn't. Especially as he increasingly readjusts to the Championship grind after scant playing time in the Premier League at Bournemouth last season.

He said: "I didn't play much in the last six months and I got thrown into six straight games earlier in the season. That was quite a shock.

"But I am getting used to the rigours of the Championship again, Tuesday Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, which is tough on the body, that physical impact, It's good to be playing again."

The goal that ended Murray's dry spell early on was a four-man gem, launched by Gaetan Bong with a raking ball from deep inside his own area which released Knockaert.

The irrepressible Frenchman, surrounded, burrowed inside to the box before picking a pass for Beram Kayal to set up Murray for a smooth finish. As Hughton remarked: "We'll do well to score a better counter-attacking goal than that this season."

Murray should have doubled the lead, slotting wide when even better place from another incision involving Knockaert (below) and Bong when the dishevelled visitors were temporarily down to ten men due to a blood wound to central defender Marc Roberts.

The Argus: Murray did multiply the advantage soon after the restart, a soaring header from an inviting free-kick by Jiri Skalak.

The same combination could have provided Murray with his first hat-trick since one for Palace against tomorrow's hosts Ipswich almost four years ago but his volley from the Czech's cross had insufficient power to beat keeper Adam Davies.

Knockaert was his customary bundle of mischief to the opposition. One piece of brilliance in the first half, when he outwitted two rivals before dinking a cross, had the crowd on their feet.

Hughton said: "We always look for an end product. Take out all the bits that entertained the crowd, he played a big part in the first goal and he's got four goals for us this season from a wide position. Overall he has been producing for us."

The third shut-out in succession was comfortable. It was hard to see on this evidence how Barnsley are the top scorers in the division.

Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk were dominant in the air again as Albion coped resolutely with their set piece threat. The Yorkshiremen's one and only shot on target did not arrive until the 75th minute, when David Stockdale dealt competently with a sharp effort from Josh Scowen.

The only blemishes were the ankle injury which forced off Kayal at the interval and the defensive disruption caused at Portman Road tomorrow night by the much-improved Bong's silly fifth booking for dissent.

Dunk is on the brink of a ban now as well but Albion have more strength in depth at the back than the front, where Murray is going to be key to their challenge.