FILIPE Teixeira masterminded a thrilling fourth successive home win in a classic game of two halves.
The Portuguese playmaker's assist enabled Ishmael Miller to crown his full Albion debut with a 23rd-minute opener as the buoyant Baggies deservedly headed into the interval in front.
However, Albion were a pale shadow of their first-half selves after the break as Ipswich got right on top and created numerous chances.
But Town lacked a cutting edge and the Baggies made them pay in ruthless fashion by scoring THREE times in the space of five last-gasp minutes.
Man-of-the-match Teixeira made it two goals in as many games in the 88th minute before laying on a third for Kevin Phillips in the first minute of stoppage time.
Top-scorer Phillips, who bagged a hat-trick at Portman Road last season, incredibly completed the scoring in the 93rd minute - his fourth of the campaign.
The final scoreline was flattering.
But Tony Mowbray's men deserve credit for showing such resilience to weather Ipswich's second-half pressure.
The result preserved Albion's 100 per cent home record and made it 360 minutes without conceding on Hawthorns soil this term.
New boys Chris Brunt and Miller both made their full debuts - Zoltan Gera, left out altogether, and Craig Beattie made way - as tenth entertained fifth.
Robert Koren also featured in a league 16 for the first time this season after recovering from a freak eye injury.
Ipswich were boosted by four-goal top-scorer Alan Lee passing a late fitness test on a hamstring problem.
Town duo Pablo Counago and Owen Garvan both had presentable shooting opportunities inside the first two minutes but neither troubled Dean Kiely from distance.
But it was Albion who carved out the game's first real chance.
From Brunt's short corner, Jonathan Greening whipped the ball into the danger-zone and Phillips saw a 12-yard snapshot flash just past the far post.
Moments later, Carl Hoefkens sent another pinpoint centre into the box but Phillips was again off target with a 15-yard header.
It had been a bright and inventive start by the Baggies - but they almost fell behind in the tenth minute.
Counago slipped in Lee who held off Leon Barnett and curled the ball inches wide of the far post from an acute angle.
But Albion were soon back on the attack and, after taking their corner count to five in the opening 15 minutes, Miller headed wide following Teixeira's impressive run and cross.
A great Baggies move then saw Brunt collect James Morrison's exquisite crossfield pass and rifle across the face of goal, with Teixeira and Phillips both ending up in the net but without the ball, having come within inches of making a telling contact.
Ipswich replied in the 21st minute when Jon Walters, who was sporting a bandage and a new shirt following an earlier clash of heads with Barnett, cut in from the left and shot straight at Kiely from 20 yards.
But Mowbray's men deservedly broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute.
The impressive Teixeira robbed Lee deep inside the Albion half before clipping a delicious, lofted ball into Miller's path.
The 20-year-old skipped away from Alex Bruce before poking the ball past keeper Neil Alexander's outstretched hand and in off the far post.
Albion continued to press and Teixeira saw an awkward half-volley loop just over from Brunt's centre.
Ex-Sheffield Wednesday man Brunt was providing a steady stream of ammunition from the left and he found Miller in the 36th minute with another sublime centre.
The 'Moston Menace' saw a 15-yard header saved at full stretch by Alexander.
Miller was proving a constant threat and he almost doubled the lead in the 40th minute.
More terrific defensive play by Teixeira resulted in Morrison feeding the on-loan Manchester City marksman who ran at Town skipper Jason De Vos before curling the ball just wide from 20 yards.
The second-half started with Ipswich launching a dangerous attack inside the first minute.
Counago threaded in Lee who brought a fine near-post save out of Kiely with an acute drive.
Town threatened again minutes later when David Wright slipped in Counago who dragged a right-footed shot across the face of goal and a yard wide of the far post.
Ipswich were giving a much better account of themselves this half and Lee charged at the Albion defence in the 56th minute before rifling the ball straight at Kiely from 20 yards.
Albion were struggling to find any rhythm and Mowbray rang his first change in the 61st minute, replacing Morrison with Koren.
But Ipswich went close again moments later when Counago pounced on Hoefkens' weak headed clearance and shot tamely at Kiely from 18 yards.
And the Baggies had an incredible let off in the 65th minute when Lee powered a free header off the far post from Wright's pinpoint right-wing centre.
The rebound arced straight back to the Ireland international but the alert Hoefkens got there first to divert the ball over for a corner.
Lee was proving a real thorn in the Albion defence's side and saw an instinctive prod from Harding's dangerous cross agonisingly fly into the side-netting.
Bruce also wasn't too far away with a towering far-post header from Garvan's corner.
Walters went just as close with a carbon copy header from another Town flag-kick.
Yet another Ipswich chance went begging when sub Billy Clarke shot straight at Kiely from 20 yards following Lee's lay-off.
Albion's only second-half efforts on goal thus far had been long-range shots from skipper Greening, Paul Robinson and Koren, which all failed to trouble Alexander.
But the Baggies put the result beyond doubt in a devastating late five-minute spell.
Teixeira had already bagged the man-of-the-match honours by allying a real worth ethic to his undoubted technical ability.
And he deservedly got on the scoresheet two minutes from time.
The £680,000 summer bargain buy silkily controlled Robinson's stunning crossfield pass, charged into the box and clinically poked the ball inside the bottom right-hand corner.
Teixeira turned provider for the second time in the game in the 91st minute when his pinpoint chipped pass found Phillips who slotted home from close range.
A storming Robinson run then created Albion's fourth in the third minute of stoppage time.
Phillips latched onto the marauding left-back's pass before powering a 20-yard effort past Alexander.
The Ipswich No.27 got a hand to the ball but was beaten by the force of the shot.
ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; Hoefkens, Barnett, Albrechtsen, Robinson; Teixeira, Morrison (Koren 61), Greening, Brunt (Chaplow 71); I Miller (Pele 80), Phillips. Subs not used: MacDonald, Beattie.
IPSWICH (4-4-2): Alexander; Wright, Bruce, De Vos, Harding; Walters, Garvan, Legwinski (Peters 55), T Miller; Lee, Counago (Clarke 75). Subs not used: Supple (gk), Casement, Roberts.
GOALS: ALBION - I Miller (23), Teixeira (88), Phillips (90+1, 90+3).
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Barnett (foul 90+1). IPSWICH - T Miller (foul 52), Harding (foul 81).
REFEREE: J Moss (West Yorkshire).
ATTENDANCE: 19,460.
ALBION STARMAN: Filipe Teixeira.
PIC: TEIXY FOOTBALL...Filipe celebrates his 88th-minute goal
