West Brom star's guarantee in boss's mind - with team-mates delighted

Loan striker Armstrong, who turned 28 yesterday, marked his Baggies bow with a fine opening goal in the dramatic 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

The Southampton frontman turned in an instinctive finish having gone close with several other efforts in a busy debut with Mowbray's side.

Last week's addition of Armstrong - a seasoned Championship goalscorer - was a statement to rivals and Mowbray admitted Albion players are glad they can now call the striker a team-mates after his play-off heroics broke Baggie hearts last term.

"It doesn't surprise me Adam scored - Adam used to score every week for me at Blackburn, 29 one season, over three seasons he scored a lot of goals," said Mowbray, who managed Armstrong at Ewood Park as well as Coventry previously.

"As a young boy at 20 with Coventry he got 20 goals as well. Adam Armstrong guarantees goals in my mind.

"It was about how long he was going to stay on the pitch. He hadn't played in a couple of weeks, but I was delighted for him.

"You can see the excitement in the group that Adam's here. I know he damaged this club in the play-offs last year but the players are now delighted he's on our team rather than the opposition. Hopefully he can keep scoring some goals."

Boss Mowbray, meanwhile, turns his attention to Wednesday's visit of former club Blackburn. The boss revealed his delight with goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, after the former back-up won the battle over the recalled Josh Griffiths to play against the Owls.

Mowbray said of Wildsmith: "It was the fact he'd been in every team meeting since the day I walked in, every training session and there's been nothing to my eye that's been 'I don't fancy the goalie, he doesn't do this or that'.

"He was good, he kept the ball out, distributed it well, I didn't see any reason to play a goalie I've never seen play - other than looking at his (Griffiths') clips from Bristol Rovers. There was no reason the goalie that was here wouldn't be the goalie I put in. Why would I put a young boy here for two days between the sticks? I hope he understands that."

The head coach admitted he might have faced a different call had Wildsmith, who made his Albion league debut, struggled between the sticks.

"If Joe had a poor day today and a few slipped between his fingers or he didn't come and take that cross at the end I'd have probably contemplated giving Josh a chance in the next game - make it a competition, who is going to grab the jersey," Mowbray said.

"But Joe did well enough, everything I've thought watching him in training in three week came true, he was steady, didn't cost us anything, made good saves when he needed to. You will hear me talking about how goalies making saves is what they're paid to do, they don't get too much praise from me, that's his job. If he doesn't have too many shots to save the defence is pretty good."