Geoff Horsfield scored his first goal since his £1million move from Wigan to help West Brom close the gap on leaders Norwich.

Horsfield struck from close range to give the Baggies some breathing space after Scott Dobie's header had given him an easy chance to tuck away.

Jason Koumas' deflected free-kick put West Brom ahead midway through the second half after Walsall were guilty of spurning early chances.

Darren Wrack wasted a golden opportunity to give the Saddlers the lead in the second minute.

Paul Merson played Jorge Leitao in down the right and his neat pull-back found Wrack in space six yards out but he miskicked and the ball rolled harmlessly wide.

And four minutes later, Gary Birch almost put the visitors ahead when he got on the end of Merson's flighted free-kick only for Russell Hoult to pull off a fine save.

James Walker then had to be quick off his line to prevent Scott Dobie nipping in as the Baggies battled to get back into the game.

Horsfield came within a whisker of getting his first goal for the Baggies since his transfer from Wigan when his shot on the quarter-hour fizzed across the face of goal.

It was Walsall who created the better chances as the half wore on with Wrack firing the best of them over the bar after Simon Osborn's ball from the right picked him out.

West Brom were denied a penalty when Horsfield was amazingly booked for diving by referee Barry Knight five minutes from the end of the first half.

Walsall defender Ian Roper tripped Horsfield in the area but Knight decided to give the former Wigan and Birmingham marksman a yellow card rather than point to the spot.

Horsfield then raced in on goal and turned inside the same defender, but his effort on goal was weak, allowing Walker to turn the ball behind for a corner.

Neither team got going early in their second half and it was not until Birch fired narrowly over Hoult's crossbar on the hour that either side had a serious effort on goal.

The goal the game desperately needed finally came in the 62nd minute. Paul Ritchie brought down Horsfield and from the resulting free-kick Koumas' effort took a deflection off Vinny Samways, wrong-footing Walker and nestling in the back of the net.

Dobie then saw a header blocked as he got on the end of Paul Robinson's left-wing cross and the Saddlers scrambled the ball away before Horsfield could pounce.

Horsfield got his first goal for the Baggies 17 minutes from time when Lloyd Dyer, making his Albion league debut, sent over an inch-perfect cross from the left and Dobie headed the ball back across goal for Horsfield to nod the ball home into the unguarded net.

West Brom's joy was tempered however when Koumas was stretchered off 10 minutes from time with a nasty looking knee injury after a clash with Ritchie.

Teams:

West Brom Hoult, Haas, Gaardsoe, Moore, Robinson, Koumas (O'Connor 78), Gregan, Clement, Sakiri (Dyer 70), Horsfield, Dobie (Hulse 90).

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Gilchrist.

Booked: Horsfield.

Goals: Koumas 62, Horsfield 72.

Walsall Walker, Bazeley, Roper, Ritchie (Emblen 81), Vincent, Osborn (Aranalde 84), Samways, Merson, Wrack, Birch, Leitao.

Subs Not Used: Allaway, Lawrence, Oakes.

Att: 24,558

Ref: B Knight (Kent).