West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has suggested that the Baggies need to start emulating their defensive record away from home at the Hawthorns to maintain their promotion push.

Johnstone recorded a fifth clean sheet in five Championship matches away from home on Monday night, as the Baggies picked up a fifth successive win at Preston thanks to a late penalty from Charlie Austin at Preston North End – and the keeper made some excellent saves including one to tip an effort from Daniel Johnson just past the post in the second half.

Clean sheets have been harder to come by at the Hawthorns, with the Baggies having to rely more on scoring goals at the other end to help them preserve their unbeaten home record in the Championship – and West Brom will probably have to start keeping clean sheets at home to continue to remain unbeaten on their own turf.

Did they play for West Brom - Can you get 18 out of 18?

Speaking to West Brom’s official website, Johnstone suggested that the Baggies’ ability to keep clean sheets has given them a real base to build from away from home and that he wants to see them emulating that away from the Hawthorns, saying: “If you keep a clean sheet if gives you that base to build from and ensures you’re picking up at least a point. You’re then asking your attacking players to go and win you the game and we’ve got plenty of lads who can do that.

“I want us to start doing it more at home.

“The lads worked hard and it really is a team effort. They ran their socks off and put their bodies on the line to make sure we kept a clean sheet.

The Verdict

Johnstone has been in fine form like the rest of his teammates in the last few weeks, as West Brom have really made a marker winning five successive Championship matches to open up a seven-point gap to third placed Fulham in the table.

The keeper has been largely protected by West Brom’s back four in the last six away matches, but when called upon he has produced some standout saves to keep the Baggies on level terms with their opponents at crucial stages in games, with Bilic’s side then going on to pick up all three points.

West Brom will now be focusing on extending that away defensive record to the Hawthorns, and if they can start to keep clean sheets at home as well, then it will be very difficult to see anyone really stopping them from earning promotion to the Premier League this term.