Albion 1 Mallorca 1

SUB Roman Bednar's first pre-season goal earned Albion a creditable draw against crack Spanish side Real Mallorca.


Cameroon international Pierre Webo fired the visitors into a deserved half-time lead with a crisp 26th-minute finish.


But Albion were a much-improved side after the break and Bednar clawed Tony Mowbray's men level with a predatory 51st-minute equaliser.


Mowbray will have been pleased with the workout Real gave his troops ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League opener at Arsenal.


New boys Scott Carson and Marek Cech both made their Hawthorns debuts as Mowbray was boosted by the return to fitness of Ishmael Miller, who started in a lone striker's role.

Bednar, who also shrugged off a knock, began on the bench but Robert Koren and Luke Moore both missed out through injury.


Skipper Jonathan Greening was given a hero's welcome shortly before kick-off when he was presented with a 'Champions Flag' and the Coca-Cola Championship trophy by Football League ambassador Jack Taylor.


After a quiet opening to the game, it was the team who finished seventh in La Liga last term who recorded the first effort on goal in the sixth minute.


Striker Webo was way off target with a wild eight-yard shot from the tightest of angles.


Miller, who has impressed throughout pre-season, soon gave Mallorca real concern when he shrugged off centre-half Marti Crespi to advance into the box.


The former Manchester City marksman was about to pull the trigger but skipper Nunes slid in in the nick of time to nudge the ball away to safety.


Albion, wearing their new home kit for the first time, suffered an injury blow in the 13th minute when Neil Clement limped off with a right knee problem and was replaced by Pele.


Three minutes later, midfielder Jurado strode into the left-hand side of the box before dragging his shot well wide of the far post.


Goalmouth action remained at a premium - until the visitors broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.


Webo ghosted in behind Pele before lashing home Varela's inch-perfect throughball from 15 yards, giving Carson no chance.


Albion responded well and, just two minutes later, Chris Brunt's persistence created an opening for Do-heon Kim, only for the Korea Republic star to scuff his shot wide from just inside the box.


Mallorca continued to look inventive when pushing forward and, in the 33rd minute, Varelo skipped past Paul Robinson before firing just wide of the near post.


The Balearic outfit looked an impressive side throughout the first half and finished on top, with Valera smashing a 25-yard volley just wide after Albion had only partially cleared a corner.


Mowbray replaced Carson with Kiely and Kim with Bednar at half-time and switched to a 4-4-2 formation.


The move soon paid dividends.


In the 51st minute, Miller turned on the edge of the box and saw his low shot spilled by keeper Lux.


The alert Bednar was first to the loose ball and coolly took it around the Mallorca shot-stopper before slotting home from a tight angle.


Miller had the home hordes on their feet in the 64th minute when he powered past left-back Ayoze and centred for Bednar, but the unmarked Czech international was denied a simple tap-in by Marti's last-ditch clearance.


The roles were reversed in the 70th minute when Crespi's timely intervention denied Miller a certain goal from Bednar's cross.


However, although Kiely hadn't had a single shot to save, the hosts had a real let off seven minutes from time when sub Dani glanced the marauding Josemi's pinpoint centre inches past the far post.


But the tourists also had a real scare in the final minute when skipper Jonathan Greening saw a 20-yard exocet deflect off Ramis and fly straight at Lux, who gathered at the second attempt.


Lux also had to pull off a superb one-handed save in stoppage time to keep out the impressive Leon Barnett's downward header from Robinson's free-kick.

From west brom OS
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