Birmingham 4 West Brom 1 - Albion suffer late collapse at Blues
A late three-goal collapse saw Albion end their pre-season campaign with a heavy 4-1 defeat at Blues.
Carlos Corberan's men prepared for next Saturday's Championship kick-off at QPR by conceding a number of poor goals at St Andrew's, where it was 1-1 with 20 minutes to go.
Kyle Bartley had netted before the break to cancel out Alfie May's opener.
And it was relatively even until the closing stages as Christoph Klarer, Willum Williumsson and May netted again, all from poor defensive errors.
The visitors, with their threadbare squad, were very young late on but dealt a clinical lesson with much left to work on.
Albion started the contest the brighter of the two sides and looked particularly adventurous down their somewhat-makeshift left flank involving new boy Torbjorn Heggem, more of a centre-back by trade, and attacker Karlan Grant.
The pair combined on a couple of occasions to reach the byline early on but the hosts' rearguard stood firm to repel.
Fellow new-boy Ousmane Diakite showed he has some footwork to go with his athleticism with a lovely shimmy and pass in midfield to release Heggem for another attack.
Blues midfielder Jordan James shot well over from the edge of the box for the game's first effort before the bleach-blonde John Swift's event from 22 yards curled narrowly wide of the far post. Swift shot inches over after another move down the left but was flagged offside.
Albion were on top but fell behind on 20 minutes to a soft, scruffy opener. Diakite lost possession near the right-back area and the lively Siriki Dembele crossed low. Willumsson missed his contact, as did Albion's defence to clear, and the ball eventually found May at the back post to finish low.
The opener unsettled Albion, who were ragged for 10 minutes or so afterwards, amid the period Blues were denied a couple of penalty appeals.
The visitors recovered five minutes or so before the break as Diakite, with his weaker left foot, shanked a clear chance tamely wide after nice approach play from Swift, Grant and Tom Fellows.
A minute later the Baggies were level through skipper Bartley, with the armband in the absence of Jed Wallace, who nursed a minor knock.
City couldn't clear a corner and it was recycled well by Albion, nodded across goal by Semi Ajayi for his centre-back partner Bartley to prod home well from inside the six-yard box.
It was as you were in the second period and Josh Maja, who struggled to make an impact, was denied by a good challenge after being well played in by Ajayi.
Midfielder Alex Mowatt rifled a fine chance over under pressure from keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell after being picked out at the back post by Fellows.
Heggem showed yet another glimpse of his adventurous energy after a one-two with Grant sent him into the box but the home defence recovered well again.
Chris Davies' hosts edged the period around the hour as Paik Seing-Ho lifted a dead ball over and Bartley was drawn into last-gasp defending.
Changes began shortly after as it appeared the contest headed for a draw but the League One side struck late on.
A right-sided corner was met by Dion Sanderson, who nodded down and fellow defender Klarer was there to lift over Alex Palmer from close range.
Four minutes later another sloppy goal did for Albion as Willumsson was played through and beat Palmer to the ball when the keeper seemed favourite to finish into an empty net. The attack almost seemed to go through Albion's keeper.
Corberan rang the changes with youngsters introduced late on and the Baggies' collapse was complete as Ajayi was robbed by Tyler Roberts to allow May to run through and bag a late fourth.
Blues (4-2-3-1): Peacock-Farrell, Laird, Sanderson, Bielik (c) (Klarer, 45), Cochrane (Home, 83), James (Leonard, 68), Willumsson (Roberts, 77), Seung-Ho (Donovan, 83), Miyoshi, Dembele (Hansson, 68), May (Jutkiewicz, 83).
Subs not used: Allsop, Anderson, Hall, Khela, Fogarty.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong (Diomande, 84), Bartley (c) (Taylor, 76), Ajayi, Heggem (Hall, 76); Mowatt (Molumby, 66), Diakite, Fellows (Heard, 76), Swift (Dauda, 84), Grant (Cleary 84), Maja (Faal, 76).
Subs not used: Wildsmith, Mandey, Whitwell.
Attendance: 8,284
Referee: Rob Jones
