Wade Elliot’s Robins defeated West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in the first match at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium of the 2023/24 campaign.
Aidan Keena scored the only goal of the game just beyond the hour mark to make it four wins from four so far in our pre-season preperations.
The Robins' first chance came after just five minutes when an effort from a Will Ferry free kick just outside the area rose over the crossbar.
The visitors then grew into procedings and forced Luke Southwood into a good save on the 15 minute mark.
Baggies talisman Jed Wallace let fly from range on the right hand side, but Southwood was equal to the effort on his return to Whaddon Road.
Not long after and West Brom’s Brandon Thomas-Asante was next to try his luck, forcing another fantastic save from Southwood to keep the scores level.
But the best chance of the half fell to Jovan Malcolm eight minutes before the break.
The Baggies had their best passage of play before the ball found the feet of Malcolm at the back post, but he could only find the side netting from close range.
After the break and the pressure from West Brom continued as Jayson Molumby won the ball and ploughed through the Robins half before taking aim at goal.
But Max Harris, on for Southwood at half-time, got down well to his right diverting the effort away from goal.
The Robins then found themselves in front thanks to a rocket from Keena.
It was some great work from Elliot Bonds in the midfield before he played a pin-pointed lofted ball over the top to the stirker, which he fired home.
The Robins saw another chance open up on the 73rd minute when George Lloyd did well to keep the ball in play, before the ball dropped to Liam Sercombe on the edge of the area.
The midfielder struck an effort on the volley toward goal but it fizzed just over the bar.
Both sides made wholesale changes in the last 20 minutes of the game but the Robins would hold out to secure another pre-season victory.
Next up for the Robins is another game at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3:00pm) as we host Birmingham City.
Robins First 75 – Southwood, Long, Williams, Bradbury, Freestone, Sercombe, Ferry, Olayinka, Bonds, Lloyd, Keena
Robins Last 15 – Harris, Willcox, Walters, Davies, Horton, Sambu, Chapman, Liggett Adshead, Olateju, Street
West Bromwich Albion First 70 - Palmer, Furlong, Kipre, Ajayi, Wallace, Molumby, Swift, Reach, Thomas-Asante, Mowatt, Malcolm
West Bromwich Albion Last 20 - Cann, Nelson, Higgins, Heard, Mohammed, Hall, Andrews, Mfuamba, Harper-Bailey, Williams, Love
Referee – J Busby
Attendance - 2015