Koumas lifts West Brom towards the Premiership

Gary Megson hailed Jason Koumas as the best player outside the Premiership after his match-winning performance for West Bromwich Albion at Portman Road yesterday afternoon.

Koumas came off the bench at half-time to fire a lacklustre Albion, who trailed 1-0 at the interval, to a last-gasp 3-2 victory which puts them level on points with Norwich at the top of the First Division. The Welsh international curled home a right-foot, 30-yard free-kick in the 71st minute to cancel out Tommy Miller's opener just before half-time.

After his fellow substitute Lloyd Dyer then made it two goals in a minute for Albion, striker Darren Bent bundled home an equaliser four minutes later.

But Koumas then played in Lee Hughes, who squared for Geoff Horsfield to seal the points three minutes into injury time and keep the Baggies on course for automatic promotion.

"Talent-wise Jason Koumas is the best footballer outside the Premiership and probably better than some of those in the Premiership," Megson said. "But there are still a lot of things he needs to do to his game."

Megson admitted that in the opening period he felt the visitors were fortunate to fall only one goal behind.

"We were probably lucky to only go in 1-0 down," he said. "When we came in at half-time we didn't think we needed particularly reorganising, just that a lot of our players had not played like they can.

"In the second half we caused more of a problem for Ipswich. There is a lot said about tactics and formations, but the width came from people running and getting themselves out wide. I think we were an accident waiting to happen in the first half - I would have take 0-0 at half-time."

Koumas said: "It was a massive win today. With Sunderland not playing it was vital to hang in there and get the three points."

The Ipswich Town manager, Joe Royle, was understandably angry after seeing his side lose, staying in ninth place in the table when a victory would have lifted them up to fourth position.

"I am furious we have lost the game," Royle said. "We have conceded seven goals and six points this season to a team that may go up as champions, but there is very little between the two teams.

"While I don't think the referee has had a bad game, they are two decisions he has made which have cost us. It is not 'Royle slams ref', it is just a statement of incidents. I shall give him a decent overall mark."

Goals: Miller (43) 1-0; Koumas (71) 1-1; Dyer (73) 1-2; Bent (78) 2-2; Horsfield (90) 2-3.

Ipswich Town: Davis; Wilnis, Elliott, Santos, Richards, Wright, Magilton, Miller, Westlake (Reuser, 74), Bent, Bowditch (Kuqi, 61). Substitutes not used: Price (gk), Mitchell, Diallo.

West Bromwich Albion: Hoult (Murphy, h-t); Gaardsoe, Moore, Gregan, Chambers, Sakiri (Koumas, 45), Kinsella (Dyer, 67), Johnson, Robinson, Hughes, Horsfield. Substitutes not used: Clement, Facey.

Referee: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).

Booked: Ipswich: Richards. West Brom: Gregan, Hughes.

Attendance: 24,608.