Pre-season: Bolton 4 West Brom 3 - Report
Albion finished their pre-season campaign with a helter-skelter 4-3 defeat at League One side Bolton Wanderers.
Five goals rained in during a lively second half, during which the Baggies' sole striker Brandon Thomas-Asante fired a brace, after the sides had gone in level at 1-1 at half-time.
The warm-up contest appeared set for 3-3 until Aaron Morley's winner arrowed past Josh Griffiths from outside the box five minutes into six added on.
Thomas-Asante had earlier had his side 2-1 up and level at 3-3. Winger Jed Wallace opened the scoring early in the first half.
Bolton, beaten League One play-off semi-finalists, were on target through Kyle Dempsey's double, defender Will Forrester and Morley at the death to win it despite the visitors leading twice.
Albion will reflect on a couple of goals too easily conceded but at least were able to find their scoring boots, though one was handed by goalkeeper Nathan Baxter.
Carlos Corberan's men are back in the north west next weekend at Blackburn when Championship action kicks off for real - but questions before that are to the future of goalkeeper Alex Palmer with Premier League new-boys Luton Town reportedly interested with a bid lodged, along with whether the Spanish head coach will be able to act in the market to bring in any new recruits.
There will be thought, too, to the number of goals conceded and the ease at which some of them were shipped.
Griffiths, as expected, started in goal for the Baggies after the pre-match development that first-choice goalkeeper Palmer had been subject to a bid and would not be involved
There was no place for midfielder Jason Molumby, who was nursing a slight knock picked up in training in the week, or new boy Jeremy Sarmiento, the sole new recruit so far who this week checked in on loan from Brighton.
The Ecuador international is still working his way up to fitness levels expected for this stage of pre-season.
Albion flew out of the traps and should have had the lead on six minutes - and indeed they thought they did until the intervention of the assistant's offside flag.
Darnell Furlong and Wallace and combined well in the early stages and from one move forced a corner, from which Wallace's delivery was helped on by Furlong's head and tapped home at the back post by Okay Yokuslu, after which the flag was raised. It probably would have counted had the Turkish midfielder not intervened.
But Corberan's side were extremely bright and the League One hosts struggled to live with their visitors inside the first 20 minutes.
It was no surprise to see the Baggies fire into the lead on just nine minutes. Alex Mowatt continued signs of his positive pre-season with a clever early outside-of-the-foot pass to Furlong, whose fine through ball released Wallace over Bolton's high defence.
Wallace took the ball down well and hammered a powerful left-footed finish on the bounce beyond the onrushing Baxter, who had no chance.
Corberan's men purred early on as John Swift and Thomas-Asante combined intelligently to feed Matt Phillips on the left, but his low strike, destined for the bottom corner, was parried by Baxter, who also held on to Thomas-Asante's follow-up.
Baxter had to be alive but was unconvincing to Wallace's curled strike from distance moments later.
Bolton showed no signs of life but their leading frontman from last season Dion Charles sent a rising drive well over Griffiths' crossbar.
Bolton's high line was noticeable, with a back three featuring young Albion left-back Zac Ashworth out on loan at the hosts, and the visitors might have taken advantage after Wallace spotted keeper Baxter off his line but the winger could not get the required elevation from the edge of the centre circle.
The first half began to wane from its mid-point onwards as the early zip in the Baggies' play died down and they became guilty of some sloppy pieces of possession, though Bolton were not proving very dangerous.
Cedric Kipre, looking to impress after last season's loan at Cardiff, caught the eye with a couple of pieces of unflappable composure with the ball and uncompromising play without it.
Semi Ajayi, his partner, endured a couple of shaky moments on the ball but Albion were let off the hook.
They looked like taking a slender lead into the break until home midfielder Dempsey took advantage of space from 22 yards and curled a beautiful strike into the top right corner, leaving Griffiths rooted.
Corberan instructed Swift to take a more advanced role for the start of the second period, with Albion looking either 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.
The second half took off after roughly 10 minutes to take flight before three goals in eight minutes saw the hosts fall behind once more but then turn the tables on the Baggies.
Albion's goal was another nice effort and again came from the right as Furlong released Wallace to the byline with a fine slide rule pass.
Wallace's cross was perfect for Thomas-Asante, who could not miss from six yards.
The lead lasted barely three minutes this time. Furlong was guilty of losing the ball in the Wanderers build-up and a neat ball released Dempsey, slightly right of goal, but his crisp finish across Griffiths found the corner.
Bolton began introducing a range of substitutes and one of those, defender Forrester who had come on for Ashworth, was allowed far too much room in the box to finish low into the corner via Griffiths' fingertips.
The entertainment hadn't ceased in the north east and Albion were back level 19 minutes from time. There was no danger apparent as sloppy goalkeeper Baxter, under minimal pressure, sent a wayward pass out straight to Thomas-Asante and the striker had the simple task of finding the empty net from the edge of the box.
Despite a raft of subs on either side there were still a couple of chances to win it as Griffiths saved well from Victor Adeboyejo's stinger from range. At the other end Jovan Malcolms' scrambled effort was smothered.
A rocket at the death from late sub Taylor Gardner-Hickman, similar to a strike less than 24 hours earlier at Forest Green, arrowed a few inches over the top left corner.
Sub Nathaniel Chalobah, who still could exit The Hawthorns this summer, looked purposeful late on and gave a good give-and-go with Malcolm, but couldn't get the required contact for the finish from eight yards out.
But Trotters sub Morley certainly found the required contact from 20 yards. The midfielder arrowed a strike into Griffiths' right corner with minimal backlift after statuesque Albion stood and watched the hosts work an opening for the winner deep into stoppage time.
Teams
Bolton (3-4-1-2): Baxter; Jones (Sadlier, 73), Santos (c), Ashworth (Forrester, 61); Dacres-Cogley, Thomason, Sheehan (Morley, 61), Williams (Conway, 82); Dempsey (Mendes Gomes, 61); Charles (Adeboyejo, 67), Nlundulu (Jerome, 67).
Subs not used: Coleman.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Furlong (Hall, 84), Ajayi (Bartley, 71), Kipre, Townsend (c) (Pieters, 71); Yokuslu (Chalobah, 71), Mowatt; Wallace (Fellows, 84), Swift (Gardner-Hickman, 78), Phillips (Malcolm, 78); Thomas-Asante (Faal, 84).
Subs not used: Button, Cann.
Referee: Simon Mather
