Mikey Johnston's 10-minute double gave West Brom a 2-0 home win over Bristol City in Sunday's Sky Bet Championship match at The Hawthorns.
Celtic scored their first goal of the season on 34 minutes after a quiet opening to proceedings.
The player then followed up that effort with a fine finish on the stroke of half-time as West Brom completed their final home game of 2024 with a win.
Bristol City, who have not won at this venue since 1993, go into the Christmas period having failed to win any of their previous four games.
John Swift tried to catch Max O'Leary off guard when West Brom quickly took a free-kick but the Robins keeper managed to uncontestedly push the dipping effort away from the to visit
Center half Kyle Bartley headed over the bar moments later, but the game, played in typical wintry conditions with driving wind and rain, got off to a slow start – until the magic moment of the hosts.
Tom Fellows, behind only Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz in the competition assist charts before this game, created an eighth goal of the campaign when he headed home a cross on the edge of the six-yard box. Despite being short, Johnston slotted home his first goal of the season.
Things got even better for the Republic of Ireland international minutes later when West Brom trio Swift, Josh Maja and Alex Mowatt combined in midfield to create another opening for Johnston, who took the ball on the left, cut in and shoot. strike over O'Leary.
The visitors almost responded before half-time when Anis Mehmeti's cross to the back post found the head of Luke McNally but Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer was equal to his low effort and flicked the ball over the bar. bar.
However, Fally Mayulu gave Palmer something to think about after the interval when he led a strong drive on a target that needed to be tackled.
If City had hoped to build a head of steam to force themselves back into the game, the momentum they were looking for did not arrive.
In fact West Brom looked more likely to add to their tally, first through Maja and then Fellows. Substitute Uros Racic also blocked O'Leary's palms from the edge of the penalty area.
In the closing stages Devante Cole – West Brom's summer signing who made only his seventh substitute appearance in this game – was fed by Grady Diangana but could only push the ball past him the farthest post at full stretch.
Fortunately for him and West Brom, the job was done.
The managers
West Brom's Carlos Corberan:
“Bristol City and us are the teams that are suffering in this period.
“Teams like Derby are going to play four games in a row – we're going to play five. They have a week to play on Thursday, while we only played on Sunday.
“It's a physical handicap. It is madness. It is unfair to play against a team at this time of the season that has got two extra days back.
“We can't say we're not going for results, it's up to me but it's too much.
“Five games in a row. We shouldn't have played today, knowing the upcoming games. We should have played on Saturday, like the other teams in the competition.
“We only have three days between them and it will be difficult from a physical point of view. That's how it is.”
Bristol City's Liam Manning:
“The best team definitely won, they were better than us. We were a bit passive at times, caught between pressure and obstruction.
“That's the problem when you disconnect. The chance came from counter-attacks. When they turned it over they were very quick from their box to our box. We have to be better and I look at myself first and foremost.
“They're well organized defensively, it's a tough place to come. We didn't get into enough areas. We ended up getting picked off.
“We have to respond on Boxing Day now. We have to win more games, it's as simple as that. At the end of the day we are in the results business.
“We have to start winning games, you don't want to move and go too far without him. If you want to push forward you have to get consistent results and we didn't do that enough.”
