Manchester United took all three points from The Hawthorns on Saturday thanks to a double from Louis Saha, his third in three games against Albion this season.
The game also saw the return to The Hawthorns of Kieran Richardsonfor the first time since his loan move ended last season.
The midfielder had played a massive part in the clubs survival last season and received a fantastic reception from the Baggies fans, shame his arrogance did not acknowledge it.
Come on Kieran it only needed a wave, we gave you your break the least you could have come up with was a wave, even Bryan Robson managed a wave to the United fans. England International now he can?t be seen to mingle with us common folk.
It?s just a shame that did not follow suit with the same reaction when waving to the United fans
The result meant that due to Portsmouth?s win against West Ham reserves the South Coast club had now cut the gap between the two teams from six to three points, but Albion still have a superior goal difference.
It was a game that United were expected to win, Albion were set on making it difficult for them to take three points back to Manchester but superiority and difference in class shone through in the end with Saha grabbing his two goals.
Saha notched his and United?s first goal in the sixteenth minute heading in from Ryan Giggs? corner after drifting away from Ronnie Wallwork who was supposedly marking him.
One nil United and only sixteen minutes gone, yet again we conceded a goal through sloppy marking and handed a top Premiership striker the easiest of opportunities to put the opposition ahead.
Why oh why do we do it to ourselves, we make life to difficult and do not switch on and stay focussed enough when we need to.
The goal seemed to shock Albion and spur on United as they poured more men forward. The Baggies were thankful to Tomasz Kuszczak only minutes after the goal when he turned away Giggs? effort on goal that would have buried Albion.
Albion then seemed to settle into the game and Edwin van Der Sar pulled off a magnificent save from Diomansy Kamara?s free-kick that seemed to have beaten the United keeper only for him to use his massive reach and turn it away.
The big Dutchman then managed to turn away a towering header from Baggies centre-back Curtis Davies as Albion looked more of a threat on the United goal.
The Baggies seemed to be coming back into the game but any hope of Albion pulling level before half-time were ended as the whistle blew, but things were looking good for the start of the second half.
Albion made one change at half-time with Kanu coming on for the ineffective Kevin Campbell who had picked up a slight knock in the first-half.
Kanu made an immediate impact with a speculative shot on van Der Sar?s goal.
Baggies boss Bryan Robson had to make an enforced change just before the hour as Albion lost Kamara with a hamstring injury. The Senegalese midfielder limped off and was replaced by Nathan Ellington as Robson switched back to a 4-4-2 formation.
The move backfired only five-minutes later as United broke and added a second goal.
Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo were integral in the build up as they broke clear and fed Saha who clipped the ball past the advancing Kuszczak to put United two goals clear with less than half an hour to go.
Albion just could not deal with the pace of the United breakaway and were punished for chasing the equaliser. The difference in class was obvious in the finishing, it looked like it was game over for the Baggies.
Nathan Ellington did not think so, Albion won a corner that former United player Jonathan Greening raced over to take. Now Albion have not had the best set-pieces this season and have struggled to threaten the opposition goal but today was an exception as Ellington towered above the United defence to plant a bullet header past van Der Sar.
A life-line for Albion but it was all that the Baggies fans were going to have to cheer as they never threatened van Der Sar in the United goal as the game closed out and United took the three points back to Manchester.
On the performance from Albion, not bad just wish we would stop giving away sloppy goals. At the other end it is great to see Ellington getting back in the goals, two in two we just need to sort out the defence now.
Robson please play Ellington, he is not an Earnshaw and has a lot to show, his confidence will be getting higher so please don?t bench him for the rest of the season, give the lad some starts now.
Darren Carter looked tidy when he come on and had some neat touches, I think he will be a good asset to us whatever division we are in next season.
Jan Kozak looked a little out of depth, considering this bloke has played Champions League football I would have expected a little more from him on Saturday. Can?t head the ball and for over six foot he needs to work on it, Earnshaw headed a ball better than him.
We will miss Kamara if he is out, he has been a real threat and he is the only player we have been able to get behind the last line of opposition defences. His shooting is a little erratic and his passing can frustrate at times but his pace scares defenders into making mistakes and is a threat for us. Fingers crossed it is not too serious.
It is looking as though we need to win soon as Portsmouth have hit some good form and managed something we haven?t in a long time by winning two games on the bounce.
On paper they have a much easier run in compared to us and Birmingham but in football stranger things have happened. It comes down to which team want it more.
If we get out of this for the second season in a row it will be a bigger achievement than last season.
Albion are top of the mini-league at the moment and have to start picking up some wins.
We need to better or match the results from the teams below and with Liverpool, Bolton and West Ham at home and Arsenal, Tottenham, Villa, Newcastle and Everton all to play away from home it is going to be one hell of a task to stay up this season.
We are going to have to win away again this season and I just can?t see where we are going to get it from.
Portsmouth have games at home against Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Liverpool and have to travel to Fulham, Charlton and Wigan.
Birmingham have home games against Chelsea, Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle and have to travel to Manchester United, Wigan, Villa, Everton and Bolton.
When looking at these games you would expect Portsmouth to get out of it, but like I said anything can happen in football so get behind the Baggies as it is going to be a fight until that final whistle is blown on the seventh of May.
Baggies boss Robson
‘We started the game quite well, but the way we gave away the goal was typical of how we have played over the last few matches.
‘It was a really poor goal to concede and once United get in front they make it really difficult for you.
‘Somewhere along the line we have to start putting it all together.’
Fergie on Ruud
‘We all know Ruud van Nistelrooy is a fantastic player and he will get his opportunity again.
‘But at the moment Louis Saha merits his place in the team at the moment because of his goals and his performances.
‘It is unfortunate for Ruud but he just has to be patient, which he has been.’