West Brom 1 Bristol City 2: Hawthorns Christmas jeers as Baggies beaten at home
Albion slumped to just a second home defeat of the season with little festive cheer on show as angry jeers were aimed at Ryan Mason and Baggies players.
Bristol City ran out comfortable 2-1 Boxing Day winners thanks to first half goals to heap more misery on beleaguered boss Mason as the hosts slumped to another Championship reverse.
It has been form at The Hawthorns that has been a saving grace to the head coach and his underperfoming players given the horrid run of eight straight away defeats.
Questionable decisions including Anis Mehmeti's controversial opener and a red card offence missed from the attacker offered little in defence of under-fire Mason. Ousmane Diakite scored his first goal for the club with five minutes left but an equaliser could not be found.
It increases the scrutiny on Mason's position in charge, particular in the wake of president Andrew Nestor's December 23 statement stating Bilkul's desire for patience given the changes around the club in the last 18 months.
The ownership's patience will be severely tested given cries of "Ryan Mason you're football is s**t" at The Hawthorns and jeers aimed towards goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, partly at fault for the hosts' opener, and similar when Samuel Iling-Junior replaced Isaac Price.
Boos at half-time while 2-0 down were the loudest heard at The Hawthorns so far in this testing campaign. An improved Boxing Day attendance were left hugely dissatisfied and spotlight turns on Monday night's home clash with QPR and just many empty seats may be on show.
Karlan Grant hit the crossbar with the game's final kick as Albion managed a late effort but away cheers drowned out full-time boos given many home fans had long left.
It is the sound of the fan anger and potential of more staying away that may hit Bilkul most.
It can be factored in Mason's options were threadbare on Boxing Day with four outfield youngsters making up the bench, but desperate away form has placed increased pressure on home form and four defeats in five have not helped the head coach.
Albion looked to have started quickly with a blocked Grant shot before Mikey Johnston's angled strike was deflected into the side netting.
But the Baggies' Achilles Heel in their own defensive third took just four minutes to rear its head.
Wildsmith endured a couple of horrific and costly situations as his side fell two goals behind in the first half of he first period.
Mehmeti's opener made for painful viewing from Albion and the beleaguered goalkeeper's perspective - albeit replays showed an offside City player in line and interfering with play by potentially obscuring the view.
Still, Wildsmith failed to move or get near Mehmeti's tame low daisy-cutter, which found the very corner.
It almost seemed to happen in slow motion. The Birmingham Road faithful behind Wildsmith booed the keeper when next in possession and ironically cheered as he prevented a goal kick soon after.
Mason's men responded and should have equalised but Isaac Price spurned a one-v-one opportunity when played in by Grant as Max O'Leary saved.
Diakite somehow failed to equalise on 16 minutes as his powerful header from Callum Styles' corner was somehow kept out by O'Leary's point-blank reaction. But the keeper should not have had a chance. Price sent the follow-up over from range.
Away goalscorer Mehmeti was fortunate to survive what replays showed appeared a clear elbow on Styles in midfield shortly afterwards.
It went from bad to worse for Albion as right wing-back Ross McCrorie smashed in his side's second midway through the half. The ball was worked easily from left to right and the Scot hammered in at Wildsmith's near post. It was well-struck and flew in over Wildsmith's left shoulder.
The Hawthorns was muted as Albion's early flurry of chances ebbed away. Murmurs of discontent followed as the Robins 'Ole'd' it around midfield.
The Robins' goalscorer McCrorie defended superbly to clear from Grant before Albion's right-back George Campbell spooned hopefully wide.
Mason opted against changes at the interval in the hope of a second-half turnaround akin to Swansea in November.
The second period started with little inspiration and Mason turned to recovering vice-captain Alex Mowatt from the bench and then Iling-Junior on the hour. Iling-Junior was booed upon entry after Price was sarcastically cheered off.
Wildsmith and defenders helped prevent a third by just about keeping a scramble out on the Albion goalline.
Apathy had long set in, with cutting jeers against some home players.
A key moment of the second half came and went as Iling-Junior crossed well for Aune Heggebo but the shackled striker failed to make contact with his head halfway through the second period.
Dike was sarcastically cheered on with 15 minutes left but had little impact. Diakite rose to this time get his header on target to pull one back with five minutes left.
It seemed like too little too late and proved it, as Grant's effort off the woodwork confirmed a miserable Christmas affair.
Albion (4-2-3-1: Wildsmith; Campbell, Phillips (c), Mepham, Taylor (Mowatt, 57); Diakite, Styles (Dike, 77); Johnston, Price (Iling-Junior, 65), Grant; Heggebo.
Subs not used: Griffiths, Diomande, DuPont, Mfuamba, Bostock, Maja.
Bristol City (3-4-2-1): O'Leary; Dickie, Vyner, Pring; McCrorie (Tanner, 77), Knight (c), Randell, Borges (Atkinson, 64); Mehmeti (Armstrong, 64), Twine (Roberts, 90+3); Riis (Hirakawa, 77).
Subs not used: Lumley, Stokes, Peacover, Thomas.
Referee: Will Finnie