Albion are up and running after goals from Solly March, Joao Pedro and substitutes Simon Adingra and Even Ferguson secured a comfortable opening-day victory over Luton Town.
Albion were always in control and should have converted a few more of their 12 shots on target. They hit the woodwork twice and Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski made several fine saves.
Albion dominated from the start. Joao Pedro somehow side-footed wide from inside the six yards following James Milner’s cut-back then Welbeck tested Kaminski with an angled effort before the keeper did well to keep out Pedro’s stinging drive. The deadlock was finally broken on 35 minutes. Kaoru Mitoma lifted in a cross from the left which was misjudged by Amari’i Bell and March was able to guide a simple header past Kaminski.
Luton nearly responded straight away when Jason Steele blocked Carlton Morris’s header at a corner but the woodwork denied Welbeck in Albion’s next attack when he stretched to divert a cross that rebounded into Kaminski’s hands off the post. Pedro then saw a goal-bound shot blocked after Mitoma unselfishly teed him up.
The second half started in the same vein. Pascal Gross’s shot which almost crept inside the near post before Kaminski parried March’s effort at the end of a mazy run.
Going into the final quarter Albion needed the security of a second goal. It came when Tom Lockyer dragged Pedro down with 70 minutes gone and the Brazilian’s right-footed penalty had too much power for Kaminski.
Luton had a lifeline when Carlton Morris sent Steele the wrong way from the spot after Jacob Brown’s cross struck Dunk with ten minutes to go but Adingra capitalised on some poor defending to powerfully volley past Kaminski five minutes from time. Ferguson hit the far post with a curling effort but got his goal in stoppage time, sliding in to convert Pervis Estupinan’s cross.
Albion: Steele, Gross, Dunk, van Hecke, Estupinan, Dahoud (Gilmour 74), Milner (Veltman 78), March (Adingra 74), Mitoma, Welbeck (Ferguson 78), Pedro (Enciso 88).
Unused subs: Verbruggen, Julio, Alzate, Buonanotte.
Attendance: 31672