Two-goal Robert Koren led West Bromwich Albion to the verge of promotion as they powered to their eighth successive win at The Hawthorns, seeing off Leicester City 3-0.
After James Morrison had given Albion a 38th minute lead, Koren helped himself to a double as Albion moved 12 points clear of third placed Nottingham Forest - and dealt a hammer blow to City's play-off hopes.
Leicester have now lost their last four games and are clinging to their place in the top six by a solitary point from Blackpool.
Albion's latest success has given the club their best run at home since the 1948-49 season and was a fitting way for Roberto Di Matteo to mark his 100th game as a manager.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson was taking charge of City for the 100th time, but he had nothing to celebrate on his return to Albion where he had been the assistant manager under Bryan Robson.
Leicester did have more of the game in the second half and they could have found a route back into the match had Steve Howard not fired wide two minutes after the re-start.
That was the closest they got to launching a comeback as Albion held on to their first-half advantage before Koren struck for the second time in the 85th minute.
Leicester had made a positive start to the game when former Albion winger Lloyd Dyer went close in the third minute by firing just wide.
But the Foxes were forced back on to the defensive after that and survived two major scares before Morrison struck.
Jonas Olsson headed a Chris Brunt free-kick against the foot of the post in the 17th minute and then just two minutes later Ishmael Miller was denied by a smart save from Chris Weale.
But Leicester's luck ran out after Brunt floated a cross into the area from the left wing in the 38th minute. Jack Hobbs failed to fully clear his lines and then Graham Dorrans teed up Morrison with the deftest of touches.
Morrison made no mistake with a low 25-yard drive for his first goal since January 2009 following ten months on the sidelines with a foot problem.
Dealing with Brunt's delivery was a major problem for Leicester and it again proved to be their undoing when Koren doubled Albion's advantage in first-half stoppage time.
Again there was a stroke of fortune for Albion as Hobbs saw his header bounce off team-mate Andy King and fall kindly to Koren, who made no mistake from just inside the area.
But there was nothing lucky about Koren's second as he was released by a pin-point pass from Morrison and took the ball around Weale before rolling the ball into an empty net.