Brunt: West Brom looking to Europe, but we won’t get carried away

Chris Brunt: Signs new deal

Chris Brunt: Signs new deal

Chris Brunt insists West Brom must keep their focus despite admitting the club are dreaming of securing Europa League football.

The Baggies’ 3-1 win over Hull on Monday maintained an unlikely challenge for Europe following successive victories over the new year.

Brunt scored the equaliser as the hosts came from behind to record their sixth victory in their last 10 Premier League games, leaving them eighth in the table.

Tony Pulis’ side have 29 points, their second highest total after 20 Premier League games, but Brunt warned they cannot allow themselves to lose focus.

“It’s nice. The few seasons I’ve been here you never know what’s going to happen in the second half of the season,” the winger told the club website.

“Previously coming into Christmas we’ve had a lot less points than we do now. It’s probably a lot more than in previous seasons.

“It’s nice to be looking up the table but you’re only a couple of results away from looking back down. It’s important we don’t get carried away.

“It’s been a tough period for us but the games we’ve looked at and targeted to get points out of we have.”

Gareth McAuley and James Morrison also scored in the second half after Robert Snodgrass had given Hull a deserved first-half lead before the Tigers collapsed after the break.

Defeat left Hull second-bottom and without a win in their last nine league games ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup visit of Swansea and their EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester United next week.

And captain Michael Dawson admits they only had themselves to blame following an impressive first half.

“We shot ourselves in the foot and that’s been the story of our last six or seven games,” he said, speaking to the club’s official site.

“I look at West Ham and that was criminal we didn’t win. On Monday we dominated in the first half and were completely in control of the game.

“We’re trying to stay as positive as we can. When you lose it’s never easy and confidence can be shot. You lose games but you dust yourself down and try to put it right.”