Albion made a winning start to their Premier League International Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Feyenoord at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre on Tuesday night.
Head coach Shannon Ruth has now guided his side to a four-game unbeaten run during which time they have scored 12 goals, and they again played with energy and intensity in what was an absorbing game.
The competition pits the 12 best teams in Premier League 2 with their European counterparts and Feyenoord arrived with a notable win over Arsenal under their belts in the competition already.
And the visitors were first to settle, pressing high and denying Albion much meaningful possession.
But when they did threaten Albion keeper James Beadle was up to the task, making two excellent close-range saves from Nesto Groen while Shiloh t’sand fired wide from a good position.
It was a tough first quarter for Albion but they gradually began to impose themselves and took the lead thanks to brilliant work by Miller on 37 minutes.
He won the ball just inside the Feyenoord half, slipped past Sem Valk and was in on goal and his low finish from 12 yards out flew past keeper Jaimy Kroesen. The Dutch keeper then turned Jack Spong’s free kick around the post as Albion, boosted by the goal, ended the half on top.
Feyenoord enjoyed another good spell at the start of the second half although Cam Peupion’s effort, after good work by Luca Barrington, forced Kars Van Veldhoven to produce an important block.
Leo Sauer dragged his 58th-minute effort wide as Albion defended doggedly, with Ruairi McConville making some important interceptions and blocks. They did have a lucky escape in the 68th minute when Groen cut in from the left and his curling shot beat Beadle but came back off the bar.
Albion made the most of that reprieve by doubling their lead with 13 minutes to go when substitute Marcus Ifill, who had only been on the pitch for seven minutes, cut in from the left, leaving a defender in his wake before giving Kroesen no chance with his finish into the top corner.
The hosts saw out the game in relative comfort and will now prepare for Sunday’s PL2 match at home to Chelsea.
Albion: Beadle, Nilsson, Furlong, McConville, Tsoungui, Barrington (Ifill 70), Spong © (Chouchane 80), Hinshelwood, Peupion (Wilson 84), Samuels (Everitt 70), Miller (Baker-Boaitey 80).
Subs not used: Cahill, Packham.