Albion 1 Aston Villa 0

When you have waited that long for a goal, what’s another second or so?

Joao Pedro headed home the 87th-minute winner after his penalty had been saved by outstanding Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Having failed from the spot for the first time for Albion, the Brazil forward then provided a cool finish to guide the ball home and give his side a win they deserved and a huge lift they needed.

The outstanding Simon Adingra was nudged over by Ezri Konsa after playing a one-two with Joao Pedro.

Olsen dived low to his right to save the spot kick but then, at last, Albion’s luck changed as the rebound bounced nicely for the home No.9 to nod home.

This was the right result. We saw was a committed and decent quality home performance to which the crowd responded in supportive manner.

Europe may have gone for this year but the season deserves more than to fizzle out and fans went home suitably re-energised yesterday.

Albion brought back Joel Veltman and Danny Welbeck to the starting XI and also, less expectedly, Adam Webster.

It was the latter’s first start since the 3-0 defeat at Fulham two months previously and his involvement saw Igor move to left-back, certainly when Albion were out of possession.

Webster proved to be one of the positive stories of the afternoon.

When the hosts had the ball, Igor tucked around and Veltman advanced to give more of a feel of a back three.

But, understandably, most of their attacking width came on the left.

The hosts’ build-up from the back was intricate, confident and precise as it needed to be and they also looked for the long ball to release Adingra on the left when possible.

Adingra was involved in their more exciting early moments, including an early shot to the hands of Robin Olsen after cutting inside.

Then he won the ball back himself, just left of centre, 25 yards out before forcing his way past Douglas Luiz and firing in a shot which Olsen parried diving to his right.

The hosts were close to a set-piece goal when a near-post corner was diverted narrowly over the bar by either Welbeck or Webster at the near post.

Olsen dived bravely to save at the feet of Adingra after Facundo Buonanotte and Welbeck had worked the ball down the middle.

But the moment when it really felt Albion would make the breakthrough came in five added minutes.

This time Adingra was the provider with a carefully curled pass from the left to pick out Gross’s run.

Gross looked to take the ball around Olsen but the keeper adjusted and was able to divert the shot behind.

Olsen did well again as Albion pushed for the second-half breakthrough, getting a strong arm to a shot by Joao Pedro, who had been sent bearing down on goal by the almost inevitable Adingra.

The keeper could do nothing but watch as a Welbeck header dropped inches wide of the post after a cross by sub Julio Enciso.

Just when Albion thought the wait for a goal was over, VAR Michael Oliver ruled Gross offside as he tucked home a low cross from Igor on 70 minutes although it was desperately close.

There was a check, too, when John McGinn finished neatly following a lucky ricochet at a Villa corner.

The flag went up quickly and the check proved he WAS offside, albeit not by much.

But the breakthrough was to come, though not via the usual Joao Pedro route at a spot kick.

Albion celebrated that one – and again at full-time after they did a very professional job seeing through nine minutes of stoppage time.

Albion: Verbruggen; Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Igor; Gross, Gilmour (Baleba 88); Adingra (Barco 90+3), Buonanotte (Enciso 61), Joao Pedro; Welbeck (Moder 88). Subs not used: Steele, Offiah, Peupion, Ansu Fati, O’Mahony.

Goal: Joao Pedro 87.

Yellow card: Gross 49, Adingra 63, De Zerbi 87 Aston Villa: Olsen; Diego Carlos, Konsa (Chambers 90), Torres, Digne (Moreno 90); Bailey, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Rogers (Cash 36); Diaby (Duran 73); Watkins. Subs not used: Gauci, Lenglet, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam, Kellyman.

Yellow card: Cash 90+9.

Refere: Robert Jones.

VAR: Michael Oliver.