Wanderers got their pre-season programme up and running with positive work-out and a welcome win thanks to goals from Kyle Dempsey and Aaron Collins at St George’s Park, writes Pete Oliver.
A day before Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions bid to win the European Championships for the men the first time, the Whites enjoyed the surroundings of the home of the England teams to make the ideal start to their summer schedule as Dempsey and Collins struck at the end of each half.
Manager Ian Evatt utilised all his current fit first-team players - with seven currently on the absent list - to give them game time, with most playing 45 minutes and others for an hour as he saw his side come from behind to make a winning start against Championship opposition.
The trip came too soon for new arrival Scott Arfield to join in after he only stepped off a plane from the United States to sign a day ago.
But Kaidi Lolos got his first outing in a Wanderers’ shirt and there was also a welcome return to match action for George Johnston – 12 months on from the knee injury that kept him out of all of last season.
Johnston started the game and slotted back into a Wanderers’ defence which was breached after just a couple of minutes when Brandon Thomas-Asante steered the ball home to give West Bromwch Albion the lead.
The Baggies also fielded two different XIs but had almost all their senior players and some new faces on duty and made a lively start in which Thomas-Asante also forced Nathan Baxter into a sharp save.
But Wanderers worked their way into a competitive contest and deserved to be level at the break when George Thomason fed the ball to Dempsey, who took a couple of touches before powering a shot into the top corner from just inside the penalty area.
Dempsey was one of those to get a more extended run and threatened again at the start of a second half which brought the Whites a handful of chances from some more positive passages of play.
Aaron Morley was instrumental in a couple of the brightest moments with probing passes as Collins twice went close to a second goal and new B Team signing Dubem Eze also saw a shot saved by Ted Cann.
Albion replied with a bright spell of their own which could have seen them regain the lead, but Joel Coleman made a couple of smart blocks, Sam Inwood cleared off the line from Josh Maja and Jayson Molumby hit the woodwork.
And having come through that test, Wanderers finished strongly and secured a confidence-boosting victory with a couple of minutes to go when Collins was again given a run on goal and this time coolly finished with an effort low into the bottom corner to set Evatt’s men back off on the right foot.
First-half XI: Baxter, Toal, Santos, Johnston, Dacres-Cogley, Conway, Thomason, Sheehan, Dempsey, Lolos, N’Lundulu.
Second-half XI: Coleman, Forrester, Toal (Halford 60), Inwood, Dacres-Cogley (Matheson 60), Weston, Sheehan (Khumbeni 60), Morley, Dempsey (Eze 60), Adeboyejo, Collins.