West Brom 1 Huddersfield 2 - Report and pictures

The Terriers stunned the Baggies with two goals in eight minutes shortly after the break, and even though Craig Dawson reduced the deficit soon after with a header, Pardew's team fell to their fifth defeat in a row.

There was a toxic atmosphere inside The Hawthorns at times, and even though supporters vented their frustrations at the players during the match, chanting: 'You're not fit to wear the shirt', they rounded on their head coach in injury time, singing: 'You're getting sacked in the morning.'

Pardew's decision to persevere with underperforming players like Gareth Barry and Matt Phillips, both of whom were booed off the pitch when they were substituted, could be one reason he loses his job.

And his decision to leave Chris Brunt - Albion's most consistent creator - out of the side was only magnified by the Northern Irishman putting a corner on Dawson's head seven minutes after coming on.

The goals Albion conceded were simple ones too. Colin Quaner was given too much time to pick out Rajiv Van La Parra for the first, and then a simple Steve Mounie run beat the offside trap for a second.

It leaves the Baggies ten points behind today's opponent with 10 games to go, and seven points from safety.

Kieran Gibbs was back in the side after recovering from illness, and Jake Livermore was reinstated on the bench in favour of Sam Field after returning from his hamstring injury.

Alex Pritchard started for Huddersfield Town, and completed more minutes on The Hawthorns pitch today than his whole loan spell under Tony Pulis two seasons ago.

Buoyed by a boisterous home crowd at kick-off, the Baggies actually started brightly. Matt Phillips nearly slipped Jay Rodriguez through with a quick free-kick before Salomon Rondon had an early sighter from distance that flew over the bar.

The hosts were harassing Huddersfield, and they looked up for the occasion in the first five minutes. But Albion have been starting strongly under Pardew this year, their problem has been sustaining those levels.

Jonny Evans, who had his armband restored, seemed determine to keep them up, and was marshalling the men in front of him in between a chat with Grzegorz Krychowiak about who should be starting attacks from the quarter-back role.

But by the 15-minute mark, the visitors in red had grown into the game, and Pritchard had already shown a few threatening touches in tight spaces.

Albion were growing tetchy, and when Phillips managed to somehow pull out of a challenge and concede a free-kick at the same time, thanks to some overreacting from Christopher Schindler, the fans started to vent their frustrations.

It was a poor game at this stage, with very few openings, and the hosts were struggling to create anything of note, but some Salomon Rondon keepy-uppies and a driving run from Krychowiak woke The Hawthorns up before a chance went begging when Kieran Gibbs's cross evaded everyone in the middle.

Colin Quaner nearly bulldozed his way through the Baggies back-line at the other end, but he was penalised for pulling Barry over, and then Jay Rodriguez got McClean's low corner caught under his boots.

It wasn't until ten minutes before the break though that either team created a chance of note, and it was the visitors who were left wondering how they hadn't scored.

After winning the ball back in Albion's half, the ball was pulled back to Pritchard in acres of space on the penalty spot, but his shot was blocked on the line by his own team-mate before Foster saved from Rajiv Van La Parra and Evans hacked clear.

Just before half-time, the hosts finally carved out their own chance when Phillips finally burst beyond his full-back and reached the byline.

The winger stood up an inviting cross to an unmarked McClean at the back post, but the Albion man volleyed the ball into the Birmingham Road End instead of the back of the net.

It had been a flat first half from a home side lacking creativity, and there were a few boos from the stands when the whistle blew.

But the second half couldn't have started worse. After Gibbs inexplicably let the ball run over his foot and out of play, Huddersfield took the lead with a goal of excrutiating simplicity.

Quaner was given far too much time on the right-hand edge of the box, and he picked out a simple low cross to Van La Parra in the middle.

The former Wolves man scored a pearler in the corresponding fixture at the John Smith's Stadium earlier this season, but this time he simply swept the ball home from 12 yards without anyone challenging him.

Albion looked shell-shocked, paralysed with fear, and when Danny Williams was allowed to flash a long-range effort past Foster's post, the crowd started to vent their anger.

But after Jonas Lossl held Barry's shot from the edge of the area, it got even worse.

Once again, it was a simple goal to concede from a simple run by Mounie. Pritchard found him with the sort of slide-rule pass Albion seem incapable of playing, and the Huddersfield striker bent his shot around the onrushing Foster.

Fans started to stream down to the concourse to get some much-needed libation, and those who did stay watching greeted the goal with boos.

"You're not fit to wear the shirt," rang down from the stands, as the toxicity levels reached highs not seen under Pardew until today.

Chris Brunt was ready to come on when the second goal went in, and he replaced McClean immediately afterwards.

It took the long-serving Albion man just seven minutes to drag the Baggies back into the game with one of his trademark corners.

Whipped into a dangerous position, all Dawson had to do was nod it in from three yards out to give Albion hope.

Shortly after that Pardew finally took the pedestrian Barry off, much to the delight of the home crowd.

His substitution was greeted with a mixture of boos and sarcastic cheers, but the man himself clapped the fans as he ran off to be replaced by Livermore.

Pardew's decision to keep faith in Barry has been shown up in the last two games and his decision to leave Brunt out of the line-up was also a mistake.

The Northern Irishman forced Lossl into a flying fingertip save with a free-kick soon after, and while the home fans were singing his name, he whipped in another dangerous corner.

Albion were seeing more of the ball now, as they searched for an equaliser, but their attacks were growing more and more desperate because they knew, in reality, they needed two goals.

With ten minutes to go, Pardew rolled his final dice, sending Oliver Burke on for Phillips, who was once again ineffective.

The speedy winger won Albion a corner with six minutes left, and Brunt and Dawson nearly recreated the trick but this time the full-back headed over under a challenge from Lossl.

By the final whistle, there were few Albion fans left, but those who stayed greeted the end with boos as Pardew shot immediately down the tunnel.

This defeat could be terminal for both him and the club's survival hopes.

Key moments

48 GOAL HUDDERSFIELD - Quaner is given time on the right-hand edge of the box to pick out a simple low cross to Van La Parra, who has no-one near him and sweeps the ball home.

57 GOAL HUDDERSFIELD - Pritchard slips through Steve Mounie through and he curls his shot around an onrushing Foster.

64 GOAL ALBION - Baggies drag themselves back into the game when Dawson nods home Brunt's corner minutes after the Northern Irishman comes on.

69 Barry is booed off the pitch by the home fans.

Albion man of the match

Chris Brunt - Made a huge difference when he came on. Should have started.

Position in the table

20th, with 20 points from 28 games.

Teams

Albion (4-4-2): Foster, Dawson, Evans (c), Hegazi, Gibbs, Phillips (Burke 81), Barry (Livermore 69), Krychowiak, McClean (Brunt 57), Rodriguez, Rondon. Unused subs: Myhill, Nyom, McAuley, Yacob.

Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Kongolo, Schindler, Jorgensen, Hardergjonaj (Smith 53), Hogg (c), Williams, Quaner, Pritchard (Depoitre 77), Van La Parra (Ince 88), Mounie. Unused subs: Coleman, Malone, Whitehead, Sabiri.

Referee: Jonathan Moss (Horsforth)

Attendance: 25,920, (2,717 away)