EFL Cup: Fleetwood 2 West Brom 1 - Youthful Albion bow out in first round

The League Two hosts came from behind with two first-half goals to cancel out Mo Faal's opener, the striker's first Baggies goal.

But defensive errors from Carlos Corberan's side allowed Ryan Graydon and Ronan Coughlan to turn the scoreline around before the interval in the first ever meeting between the clubs.

Corberan handed seven senior Albion debuts across the night - three starters and four as substitutes - as a makeshift Baggies outfit paid the price for some poor errors in allowing the Cod Army to progress to round two.

Harry Whitwell and Fenton Heard were the pick for the visitors and bright in spells. Corberan got a useful hour into new faces Gianluca Frabotta and Paddy McNair.

The head coach called on defensive duo McNair, signed in the summer on a half-season loan, and academy youngster Reece Hall, as well as goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, another summer recruit, for first appearances.

There were first starts for summer recruits Frabotta, Ousmane Diakite, Lewis Dobbin and Devante Cole - who were all subs at QPR.

Hall, from Kings Norton in Birmingham, was joined by fellow academy graduate Caleb Taylor - captain for the evening - Whitwell, Heard and Faal. The entire Baggies bench was made up of young team players.

Charlie Adam's hosts opened up their League Two campaign with a goalless draw against Tranmere on Saturday, having been relegated from League One last term.

A makeshift Albion side were bright from the off as Cole, from the right saw a low cross just cleared and Dobbin, on the other flank, flashed wide across goal.

And they were rewarded with an eighth-minute opener as Cole was picked out in space midway through the Fleetwood half. He released Faal with a through ball and the 21-year-old netted his first Albion goal with a left-footed finish while holding off pressure from a defender.

Fleetwood's response was impressive. Ryan Broom's strike from an uncleared cross beat keeper Wildsmith but was cleared off the line by McNair.

Moments later the hosts bagged an equaliser. They were behind for just four minutes.

Debutant Hall's pass out of defence was poor and the experienced Danny Mayor played in Graydon to finish well across Wildsmith into the corner.

A frenetic opener settled down with chances at a premium, though Faal did head off target from Dobbin's cross after an impressive driving run from Whitwell.

It was a breakdown in attack that led to the hosts' second. The ball got away from Dobbin too easily on the left flank and Corberan's men couldn't recover. Matty Virtue's through ball released Coughlan who poked a finish into the corner.

The Baggies struggled to recover before the interval, with Frabotta's free-kick well over their only effort at the Cod Army's goal.

The hosts threatened a quick start to the second half as Broom's shot was blocked but Albion found their feet and began to push for an equaliser, with the busy Heard central to most of their work.

Referee Thomas Kirk was disinterested in penalty appeals after a powerful Hall burst before Cole span and shot tamely with his left foot at keeper Jay Lynch.

Corberan made pre-planned changes on the hour with debuts for Deago Nelson and Cole Deeming after McNair and Frabotta got through a useful hour.

Substitute Deeming, playing as a makeshift left-back, saw a free-kick deflect behind as Albion tried to unlock the hosts late on.

Whitwell saw a late effort from close range well blocked before sub Eseosa Sule headed off target from fellow youngster Reyes Cleary's delivery. The latter then stung the palms of Lynch with a powerful cross-shot in a bright cameo as the young Baggies bowed out.

Teams

Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Wiredu (c), Holgate, Medley, Patterson, Bonds (Helm, 57), Graydon (Johnston, 66), Virtue, Broom, Mayor, Coughlan (Lonergan, 66).

Subs not used: Harrington, Bolton, Odubeko, Dolan, Hughes, Smith.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Wildsmith; Hall, McNair (Nelson, 61), Taylor, Frabotta (Deeming, 61); Whitwell (Iddrisa, 77), Diakite; Dobbin (Sule, 72), Heard, Cole (Cleary, 72); Faal.

Subs not used: Cann, Diomande, Mfuamba, Richards.

Referee: Thomas Kirk