Blackpool 2 West Brom 1: Report as early goals see Baggies lose friendly.

Albion’s first friendly in front of fans this summer ended in a 2-1 loss to Blackpool. The League One hosts, managed by former Baggies manager Steve Bruce, won with all three goals scored in the first 26 minutes.

Ryan Mason’s side suffered their first friendly defeat in three matches, falling behind 2-0 before midfielder Ousmane Diakite equalised.

The Baggies, cheered on by at least 1,500 travelling fans, used £4.7 million striker Aune Heggebo as a substitute in the opening minutes.

Tammer Bany, Jed Wallace, Kyle Bartley, and Josh Maja all missed out due to fitness issues, while Jayson Molumby was suspended. The Baggies were immediately put under pressure by Bruce’s hosts, who began their season a week earlier, with George Honeyman lifting wastefully over following a mix-up in Albion’s penalty area.

Goalkeeper Josh Griffiths, the only change from the starting lineup against Dynamo Kyiv in Austria, made a short pass to Diakite, who was robbed. It was ready for Honeyman to blaze over.

Mason’s men did threaten, with Darnel Furlong flicking a header wide across goal from Alex Mowatt’s inswinging corner. Blackpool dominated the opening exchanges and led after 14 minutes.

Torbjorn Heggem was unable to reach a deep cross from the left, and Callum Styles’ clearance was ineffective. It fell to Ennis, who lifted in from six yards. Albion should have been a second down immediately following a Griffiths pass, but Diakite was in trouble again, and the Baggies barely survived.

Pools’ second goal came from new recruit Jordan Brown, who drilled in low after Olly Casey saved a deep free-kick on the byline following a Styles foul.

Diakite powered in a header from Mowatt’s corner, bringing the visitors within two for 30 seconds. Griffiths made a strong one-handed save to clear from CJ Hamilton, and Dan Imray stopped Tom Fellows before halftime. The second half started slowly, with Nat Phillips’ header from Fellows’ corner going narrowly wide.

On the hour, the hosts had an Ashley Fletcher header disallowed for a push, before Diakite drew a save from Franco Ravizolli after being set up by Isaac Price’s cross from Fellows.

Mikey Johnston and Aune Heggebo were introduced at the midpoint of the second period, with the latter playing his first minutes.

Heggebo’s hold-up play set up Karlan Grant for a goal, but keeper Ravizolli made a low one-on-one save.

Grant then lobbed a nice finish over the Argentine, but was caught offside by Furlong’s pass. A slew of changes ensued as momentum was temporarily disrupted. Grant had another opportunity squandered when a touch slipped by.

Blackpool (4-4-2): Ravizolli, Imray (Lyons, 60), Ihiekwe (Ashworth, 82), Coulson (Sassi, 90), Casey, Brown (Finnigan, 74), Evans, Honeyman (Richardson, 86), Hamilton (Husband, 50), Ennis (Kouassi, 81), and Fletcher.

Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Bardsley, Upton, and Knight. Albion (4-4-1-1): Griffiths (Wildsmith, 45); Furlong (c), Phillips (Diomande, 82), Heggem (Taylor, 76), Styles (Frabotta, 82); Fellows (Johnston, 67), Diakite (Mfuamba, 82), Mowatt (Deeming, 76), Grant (Whitwell, 82); Price (Cole, 76); Dike (Heggebo, 67).

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