Kevin Phillips smashed a stunning hat-trick as West Brom booked their place in the play-offs with a seven-goal annihilation of Barnsley.

The former England hitman was rampant, scoring the opener after 20 minutes before helping create another two for Nathan Ellington.

Robert Koren, superb throughout, added a fourth six minutes ahead of half-time, but Phillips stole the show in the second-half.

First, the 33-year-old added his second and West Brom's fifth when he drove home from 25 yards before completing his hat-trick with a calm finish 20 minutes from time.

Gera then added a seventh as the game entered its twilight, but fourth place had long since been secured.

The result, West Brom's 22nd win of the season, eclipsed the six goals Southampton put past Wolves as the division's biggest winning margin of the season and it looked likely from the outset.

Just 24 seconds had been clocked when the hosts demonstrated their intentions, Ellington thumping an angled drive at Neil Austin.

It was an aggressive opening, but tame in comparison to what was to come as the Baggies pinned their opponents inside their own penalty area with wave upon wave of attack.

Chief architect of the assault was Phillips, whose subtle running and distribution ripped the Tykes' backline to shreds, while Koren was never far away to finish the moves.

Indeed the duo linked up in the fifth minute to provide Barnsley with their first real scare of the afternoon, Phillips meandering into the area before laying off for Koren to blast marginally wide.

It was a near miss, but the intensity was building and so was the sense of inevitability when Sam Sodje, eyeing Jason Koumas' corner, outjumped the defence and brought a fine fingertip save from David Lucas with a downward header.

Ellington then missed a headed chance as the game entered its eight minute, but then the pressure finally told and West Brom got their breakthrough 12 minutes later.

Paul McShane did the leg work, beating his marker on the flank, before squaring for Phillips to turn and produce a neat finish.

Home fans had to wait little more than three minutes for a second, Koren winning a penalty which Ellington coolly slid past Lucas, while the striker made it three nine minutes before the break, looping Dean Kiely's goalkick over Bobby Hassell and rolling the ball beyond Lucas.

In between Barnsley hinted they were in a contest when Daniel Nardiello, who scored six times in the five games leading up to today, saw his deflected drive go over and Hassell had an effort well saved.

But it was tame opposition in the face of an onslaught and Koren, meeting Jonathan Greening's cross, rounded off a sublime half with West Brom's fourth six minutes before the break.

The change of end did not herald a change of fortune for Barnsley, who, having already seen Koumas, Ellington and Phillips add near misses to Koren's crossbar-bound drive, conceded a fifth in the 53rd minute.

Not surprisingly, Ellington and Phillips were involved, the former rolling the ball to Phillips to smash his 15th goal of the season from the edge of the area.

Nardiello then came close with a freekick as Barnsley sought a consolation, but West Brom had long since reduced the pace with an eye on the play-offs.

Koumas, voted in the Championship Team of the Year, came off for Zoltan Gera, Ellington made way for Sherjill MacDonald and McShane gave his place to Jared Hodgkiss as the Baggies cruised through the second-half.

The reduced tempo did not, however, mean an end to the scoring as Phillips, making the most of Gera's hard work, found space in the area 20 minutes before full time and slotted his hat-trick.

Gera himself added a seventh, turning MacDonald's 74th minute cross past Lucas with a neat finish, while Koren nearly added a superb eighth but saw his solo effort well fielded by Lucas.

Teams:

West Brom Kiely, McShane (Hodgkiss 46), Perry, Sodje,Robinson, Greening, Chaplow, Koren, Koumas (Gera 54),Ellington (MacDonald 62), Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Daniels, Albrechtsen.

Booked: McShane.

Goals: Phillips 21, Ellington 25 pen, 36, Koren 40,

Phillips 53, 71, Gera 75.

Barnsley Lucas, Austin, Atkinson, Potter, Hassell,Devaney (McCann 57), Howard, Togwell (Heslop 63), Kyel Reid,Nardiello, Ferenczi (Rajczi 57).

Subs Not Used: Colgan, Heckingbottom.

Booked: Howard, Nardiello, Kyel Reid.

Att: 23,568

Ref: L Probert (Gloucestershire).