An eighth consecutive away defeat leaves Hull City sinking further into trouble at the foot of the Premier League table.
For 45 minutes there was reason to believe the pattern would be altered when the Tigers led through Robert Snodgrass' well-taken opener but then came a desperately poor second-half collapse to gift West Brom a victory.
Woeful marking from corners allowed Chris Brunt and Gareth McAuley to turn the game on its head before James Morrison put the game beyond City's reach. One win in 18 Premier League games ensures Mike Phelan began 2017 under no illusions of the challenge facing his side.