WE now know who Albion’s first six fixtures of the 2018/19 Sky Bet Championship campaign will be against, but when was the last time we tasted victory over our early season adversaries?
Saturday, November 19, 2011 - Albion 2-1 Bolton Wanderers (Premier League)
Goals from Jerome Thomas and Shane Long, either side of an Ivan Klasnic penalty, saw the Baggies beat Bolton 2-1 at The Hawthorns. The result moved Roy Hodgson’s men into the top 10 of the Premier League table.
Saturday, August 15, 2009 - Nottingham Forest 0-1 Albion (Championship)
A Chris Cohen own goal handed Albion - who also missed a penalty when Robert Earnshaw fired wide from 12 yards - a narrow 1-0 win at the City Ground. Much like the coming season it was Albion’s second game of a Championship campaign, with Roberto Di Matteo’s side sitting in eighth place on four points.
Saturday, October 24, 2015 - Norwich City 0-1 Albion (Premier League)
In what was the 10th game of the 2015/16 Premier League season, Salomon Rondon’s header from a James McClean cross was just about enough to earn the Baggies three points at Carrow Road.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012 - QPR 1-2 Albion (Premier League)
A Chris Brunt cracker and Rob Green’s own goal ensured the Baggies picked up a Christmas win at a rainy Loftus Road despite Djibril Cisse’s consolation strike.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 - Albion 2-0 Middlesbrough (Championship)
Already-promoted Albion comfortably dispatched Middlesbrough 2-0 thanks to goals either side of the break from Simon Cox and Roman Bednar. The Baggies were sat second in the Championship table at the time, six points behind eventual champions Newcastle and 14 points clear of third-placed Nottingham Forest.
Saturday, February 4, 2017 - Albion 1-0 Stoke City (Premier League)
James Morrison’s sixth minute effort was enough for Albion to earn a hard-fought win over Stoke at The Hawthorns. The Baggies had lost just one of their last six Premier League games after the result and were sat eighth in the table on 36 points from their opening 24 fixtures.