City: Simonsen, Hoefkens, Duberry, Higginbotham, Griffin, Lawrence, Hendrie, Diao, Russell, Hendrie (Hill, 90), Sidibe, Pericard (Berger, 67).Subs Not Used: Bangoura, Buxton, Sweeney.

West Brom: Hoult, Robinson, Curtis Davies, Perry, Albrechtsen (Gera, 62), Greening, Quashie, Carter, Koumas, Kamara (Ellington, 72), Phillips. Subs Not Used: Watson, Steele, McShane,

A fortieth minute Danny Higginbotham penalty was enough for the Potters to win the vital clash with West Bromwich Albion, leap-frog their opponents and hoist them into the dizzy heights of the play-off places.

Such a prospect looked unlikely at the end of September but recent performances have more than vindicated Tony Pulis' patient and selective recruitment policy.

It was almost twelve months ago when City last appeared in the top six - for just two weeks. Do they have the resources to stay there longer this time, bearing in mind the use they have made of loans, excellent though they have been? One can only say that the prospects look much better than they did last December.

The visitors had at their disposal what is by common consent the strongest squad in the Championship, but this afternoon there was little to choose between the respective strengths of the two teams. Benches which include as well as Patrik Berger, Sammy Bangoura, Clint Hill and Peter Sweeney for City and Nathan Ellington and Zoltan Gera for the Baggies indicate the current depth of ability available to both managers.

A tight match was anticipated and a tight match was what we got, but the win was deserved, with City creating the best chances and nullifying the visitors' dangerous attack.

In fact, City will be disappointed that they failed to kill off the game with a second goal and that they were forced to defend resolutely during the last ten anxious minutes

The Potters, with an unchanged starting eleven from last week, included Liam Lawrence for his home debut and introduced Berger on the bench for what was a crucial contest with a West Bromwich side intent on a quick return to the Premiership

Encouraged by another large and vocal crowd, City started off briskly, putting pressure on the Baggies' back four, where Chris Perry and Curtis Davies had to make some hasty interventions.

Mamady Sidibe had the ball in the net in the eleventh minutes after a Lee Hendrie shot was blocked but it was disallowed for off-side.

Salif Diao and Darel Russell were pushing forward consistently from midfield, with Diao using the ball well and Russell oozing with confidence as he played an energetic box-to-box game.

City kept up the tempo, winning several free-kicks which unfortunately bore no fruit, whilst the visitors' only threat was a right-wing cross from Jonathan Greening which former England international Kevin Philips put wide of the post with a glancing header.

It was a warning that city had to be watchful, but the back four kept their concentration as the visitors tried to switch play.

A Hendrie twenty-yarder was tipped away for a corner by Russell Hoult at full stretch, but just when it seemed that West Brom might get more of a foothold in the game, City took the lead five minutes before the break.

Russell, who had seen a couple of attempts deflected wide, picked up a flick from Mamady Sidibe twelve yards out. As he turned to shoot he had his legs taken away by Chris Perry.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Danny Higginbotham stepped up to slam a left-footed penalty to Hoult's left for his fourth goal of the season.

It was to turn out to be the match-winner, and was a well-deserved reward for a sterling display by the central defender, who hardly put a foot wrong all match, showing excellent reading of the game with well-timed interventions and tackles.

The second half started a little scrappily, with Carl Hoefkens blazing over at one end and Michael Duberry causing flutters with a sliced clearance at the other.

The visitors, especially after last week's demolition of Burnley, would have been disappointed with their performance, and tried to improve things by moving Jason Koumas into the middle and then bringing on Gera, but it wasn't until the sixty-sixth minute that Steve Simonsen was stretched.

Yet again he pulled off a vital save when he tipped Kevin Philips' shot over the bar.

Shortly before that Diao had made his only misplaced pass of the afternoon. Throughout the match he displayed a calm authority and treated the ball as if it were a precious jewel - to be valued, not given away and only entrusted to those who would treasure it.

Midway through the half, Patrick Berger was brought on to a rapturous welcome, replacing Vincent Pericard, who had not been at his most effective.

Sidibe was still winning vital flick-ons, and with Berger settling in, another goal looked a distinct possibility.

It almost came after the best football of the match when Hendrie and Berger combined on the left for Hendrie to send in a cross past the face of an open goal.

Nobody was on hand to convert, and that is something that City will have to remedy: most of the recent goals have not come from the strikers.

The Baggies now had to throw men forward, which they did, having introduced Ellington.

However, their inevitable late pressure was repulsed, with the City defenders showing the required determination and discipline, none more so that Andy Griffin, who has solved, temporarily at least, the left-back problem with his impressive all-round play.

Hendrie had to limp off near the end with a hamstring injury, but when the final whistle went, it was greeted with a deafening crescendo of sound from the fans who had played their part in inspiring a team which must now prepare itself for another big test of their promotion credentials - against Cardiff on Tuesday evening. Can the team make it a fifth successive win?

Bob James