Championship: West Brom’s late double stuns Huddersfield

West Bromwich Albion scored twice in the last six minutes to snatch a 2-2 draw with Huddersfield on Friday night that dented the visitors’ hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Danny Ward, aided by mistakes from England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, gave Huddersfield a 2-0 lead at The Hawthorns.

But West Brom pulled a goal back in the 84th minute through former Huddersfield striker Karlan Grant’s penalty and barely 60 seconds later substitute Andy Carroll headed in to give Steve Bruce’s side an equaliser.

Huddersfield still climbed to second in the Championship table but third-placed Bournemouth, who have four games in hand, only have to avoid defeat at home by Derby on Saturday to go back above them.

Only the top two teams at the end of the regular season are guaranteed promotion to English football’s lucrative top flight, with leaders Fulham a huge 13 points in front at the head of the Championship table.

Huddersfield broke the deadlock in bizarre fashion midway through the first half when, following Kyle Bartley’s back-pass, Johnstone’s kick was charged down by Ward, with the ball sailing into an empty net.

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West Brom created chances and could have levelled early in the second half only for Taylor Gardner-Hickman to be just off target with a 25-yard shot.

But it was Huddersfield who scored next when, in the 74th minutes, Ward tapped in after Johnstone failed to hold a shot from Lewis O’Brien.

With the game seemingly beyond them, the Baggies gave the home crowd something to cheer six minutes from time when Grant scored from the penalty spot after Sorba Thomas caught Alex Mowatt with a high kick.

A minute later, former England striker Carroll nodded in Semi Ajayi’s cross to give West Brom a share of the spoils.