West Brom deserve "special" play-off achievement as Carlos Corberan makes holiday quip

The head coach joked he was not ready for a holiday with Southampton decided as the Baggies' play-off foes for a two-legged semi-final, beginning at The Hawthorns on Sunday week (May 12, 2.15pm kick-off).

Albion raced to the line in convincing style with a 3-0 final-day victory over Preston in front of a packed-out Hawthorns, as players completed a lap of appreciation with families afterwards.

Corberan's men have held fifth place for much of the campaign and after a wobble of three defeats on the spin, the head coach described his emotions of keeping Albion's Premier League dream arrive.

"Football is about this – making your best so you can live these special moments," Corberan said.

"The consequence of all the work the players have put in these 46 games allow us now to keep living this special moment which is the play-offs.

"I'm happy to have the possibility to put this group there and to do it with this group of players...they deserve, over the season, the position we've achieved today.

"We've been there for many, many weeks and means we don't go on holiday – I wasn't ready for a holiday! I wanted to live the moment we're going to live. The first target, to reach the play-offs, is done, and now we will work towards the next one.

"I wanted to re-live this moment, after Huddersfield, because this club deserve it. Unfortunately last year we couldn't achieve it, but this year we have. Always this club must be close to this position for the history it has built in this country.

"The play-offs give you the step that allow you to fight for promotion. We know we are going to have a massively strong test, because Southampton are a team that were in the Premier League last year and who deserve their position too.

"We know how difficult the new target, which is Wembley, will be to achieve, but we are going to make our best."

Albion's 3-0 victory was professional and comfortable. It started on the stroke of half-time – as rivals Hull had just conceded to Plymouth elsewhere – Darnell Furlong was felled and Alex Mowatt kept his cool from the penalty spot.

Furlong was involved in the second goal, too, as his long throw-in was headed in by captain-for-the-day Kyle Bartley. There was a feeling in the defender's celebration that the job was done.

Less than 10 minutes later star man Furlong made it three with a calm finish from inside the box.

Corberan added: "I agree – I would define the victory like you've said (professional). Sometimes these games, when you know the importance of the result, it can be difficult tactically to manage everything perfect and play the best football you can.

"But the players have shown the character necessary to put in the pitch and thanks to this mindset we achieved the win today."