Relegation-haunted West Brom gatecrashed Robbie Fowler's Maine Road welcoming party and delivered the worst possible present to Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan.

The battling Baggies clambered off the foot of the table with their first win in nine games despite having Jason Roberts controversially sent off eight minutes from time.

Gary Megson's men managed to blunt City's much-hyped £20million strikeforce with something to spare as Fowler struggled to make an impact, clearly some way short of match fitness.

The home side were even reliant on West Brom for their goal, Phil Gilchrist nodding Kevin Horlock's cross into his own net to level Neil Clement's early opener.

Nicolas Anelka led a home revival, but even that had run out of steam by the time Darren Moore bundled home what proved to be a 71st-minute winner.

Yet the major talking point was still to come.

Roberts felt he had received a pretty tough shove in the back from David Sommeil as West Brom lined up a free-kick inside their own half.

The Baggies striker swung a short arm back, catching Sommeil in the stomach. Contact looked minimal, but it was enough to send the Frenchman to the ground and, to his obvious disbelief, Roberts to the tunnel after referee Neale Barry had consulted the far side assistant.

City laid siege to the visitors goal at the end, but their efforts brought no reward, West Brom reviving their hopes of avoiding the drop while dented the Blues' European dream.

Fowler's name had drawn an enthusiastic reception when it was read over the public address system prior to kick-off, although it was some time before the 27-year-old gave the home fans anything else to cheer.

He did send a long-range shot fizzing wide midway through the opening period and set up the goal which Anelka had chalked off for offside shortly before half-time, but generally he failed to have much of an impact.

The partnership with Anelka will clearly need longer than the two days' training Fowler has so far had with his new club and the understanding Keegan hoped for was sadly non-existent.

Djamel Belmadi had paid the price for Fowler's inclusion, despite an impressive midweek debut against Fulham and without the Algerian playmaker, City struggled to get any flow into their game.

At times there was a full 30 yards between their defensive line and any supporting colleagues, allowing West Brom to fill the gaps and cause maximum frustration.

It was just as well the Blues pulled back Clement's opener pretty quickly, otherwise they could have been in for a very uncomfortable afternoon.

What will have disappointed Keegan most about the Baggies opener was that his team had just received a more than adequate warning of Clement's aerial abilities when Jason Koumas swung a right-wing corner onto the full-back's head which Carlo Nash kept out with his feet.

For the same two players to combine from the next West Brom corner on the left must have been pretty galling, especially as this time the header bounced down inside the six-yard box before rising beyond Nash and into the roof of the net.

Foe has been in such good goalscoring form lately, that it was tempting to believe he had touched home Kevin Horlock's cross into a crowded penalty area. Television replays clearly showed otherwise, ensuring Gilchrist will be credited with an unhappy own-goal his team did not deserve to concede.

England candidate Russell Hoult had been relatively untroubled to that point and even though City's goal revived the home side, he did not have that much to do until the break, other than make one good block from Anelka.

The second half was a somewhat different story as West Brom again started well, but lost their way thanks to an obvious lack of a cutting edge.

How Megson must wish for half the attacking options at Keegan's disposal as the home boss introduced England Under-21 flyer Shaun Wright-Phillips at the interval, giving his side an extra yard of pace to stretch the Baggies defence.

Fowler was denied a clear sight of goal by three visiting defenders as a Wright-Phillips cross looped to the former Liverpool man at the far post, although it was Anelka who carried the greater threat, curling one effort towards the far corner which Hoult saved, then driving wide with his next shooting chance.

Hoult also got in the way of a Wright-Phillips shot during the Blues' purple patch, which came to an abrupt and unwanted end when Moore bundled home Clement's flick-on at the far post with Belmadi hardly covering himself in glory in the preceding physical duel with Roberts and the big centre-half.

Keegan threw Shaun Goater on in desperation at the end, but City could not force an equaliser even after Roberts' controversial departure.

Teams

Man City Nash, Sommeil, Distin, Howey, Dunne (Wright-Phillips 45), Benarbia (Belmadi 67), Horlock, Foe, Jensen (Goater 80), Anelka, Fowler.

Subs Not Used: Weaver, Jihai.

Booked: Distin.

Goals: Gilchrist 22 og.

West Brom Hoult, Gregan, Moore, Gilchrist, Adam Chambers, Wallwork, McInnes, Koumas (Sigurdsson 85), Clement, Roberts, Hughes (Dichio 65).

Subs Not Used: Dobie, Jordao, Murphy.

Sent Off: Roberts (81).

Booked: Wallwork, Gregan.

Goals: Clement 18, Moore 71.

Att: 34,765

Ref: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).