Blackburn 2 West Brom 1 - Report
Albion opened their Championship campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Blackburn after a horror first-half 60 seconds proved costly.
Rovers youngsters Dilan Markanday and Harry Leonard struck on 21 and 22 minutes as Carlos Corberan's side succumbed to a double sucker-punch at Ewood Park.
Matt Phillips curled in a fine strike to halve the deficit shortly after the restart but Albion - who had Corberan sent off late on for dissent - didn't do enough to equalise.
Corberan's team news provided a huge surprise as Nathaniel Chalobah, the figure of speculation this summer that had linked him with a move to Israel, started in midfield.
Cedric Kipre and Semi Ajayi made up the visitors' centre-half pairing with winger Jed Wallace, confirmed as the new club captain ahead of kick-off, involved.
Jeremy Sarmiento had a place on the bench but fellow new recruit Josh Maja is not yet ready to feature. The Ecuadorian was bright as a second-half sub.
The contest started slowly but Albion began to get to grips with it. Phillips' strike from distance was first to trouble either keeper with Aynsley Pears unconvincing.
Corberan's side were the better side on 20 minutes but in the blink of an eye the rug was pulled from beneath with a double sucker-punch - far too easily on both occasions.
The Baggies were bright but caught on the counter. Conor Townsend was unable to hook the ball forward and the hosts broke. Okay Yokuslu couldn't make a challenge on the edge of the box and Lewis Travis slipped the ball to Markanday to fire low across Alex Palmer into the corner.
Seconds later from the restart it was two. Kipre, who had started the game well enough, saw a dreadful pass intercepted by Sammie Szmodics who played a nice pass to Leonard again in Kipre's left channel of the box, for the forward to fire in his first professional goal at Palmer's near post. The keeper might have been disappointed with the second.
Albion were rocked. Skipper Wallace tried to spark a comeback with a surging run but his left-footed shot was tame.
Brandon Thomas-Asante looked sharp over the top but was denied from a very narrow angle and Palmer had to be alive to deny Tyrhys Dolan from range. Townsend made an important last-ditch block on Szmodics. Neither side could profit from seven minutes added on, per new EFL regulations, in a bitty contest.
Albion started the second half on the front foot with far more about them.
Chalobah did well to keep the ball in play and freed Thomas-Asante to the byline, his low reverse found the unmarked Jayson Molumby whose shot was blocked in front of Pears as fans behind the goal screamed for a corner. Corberan did so too and was booked.
But seconds later Philips won possession on the left, gave a superb one-two with Wallace 25 yards out and curled a fine strike into the right corner for 2-1.
Albion and their fans believed and Molumby, in an advanced role, got his feet muddled when found by Thomas-Asante.
Rovers wrestled back control with subs on the hour and Albion's goal led a charmed life. Leonard missed one gilt-edged chance in on goal with his right foot, sent wide, before another moments later with his left.
Kipre picked up a knock recovering for the second and Corberan introduced Sarmiento, Alex Mowatt and Kyle Bartley.
The former looked silky and creative and helped, with fellow sub Swift, carve an opening for Wallace whose shot was blocked.
Corberan was irritated by the officials and showed an apparent straight red card by referee Dean Whitestone with 15 minutes left.
Any head of steam rather fizzled out and the hosts went closest to wrapping up points on an opening day to forget.
TEAMS
Blackburn Rovers (4-2-3-1): Pears; Rankin-Costello, Hyam, Carter, Pickering; Tronstad (A Wharton, 59), Travis (c); Szmodics, Markanday (Hedges, 59), Dolan; Leonard.
Subs not used: Hilton, Brittain, Ennis, S Wharton, Buckley, Batty, Garrett.
Albion (4-3-3): Palmer; Furlong, Ajayi, Kipre (Bartley, 72), Townsend; Molumby (Gardner-Hickman, 86), Yokuslu (Mowatt, 72), Chalobah (Swift, 66); Wallace (c), Phillips (Sarmiento, 72), Thomas-Asante.
Subs not used: Griffiths, Pieters, Fellows, Malcolm.
Attendance: tbc
Referee: Dean Whitestone
