West Brom 1 Bolton 2 - Report and pictures

Having gone behind to a Josh Magennis header after 18 minutes, the Baggies drew level through a Harvey Barnes beauty on the stroke of half-time.

But despite controlling possession for large parts of the game, Moore's men struggled to break down the Wanderers and then two minutes from time they were undone by a corner that was turned in by Wildschut.

Albion looked vulnerable to simple balls into the boxes all afternoon, and they will need to sort out that defensive frailty quickly with the games coming thick and fast.

They were lacking a central creative spark throughout, as Moore kept faith in the 4-4-2 system that proved successful towards the back end of last season.

Goalscorer Barnes and fellow winger Matt Phillips were Albion's best players, but Bolton stood firm to their probing.

James Morrison remained an unused substitute, as Moore handed competitive debuts to summer signings Sam Johnstone, Kyle Bartley and Barnes.

Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo made the bench but Salomon Rondon and Craig Dawson were notable absentees from the squad, with the Venezuelan's move to Newcastle nearing a completion.

Backed by a packed Hawthorns, resplendent in blue and white with more than a smattering of green and yellow, Albion quickly took control of possession.

There was a brief nervy moment when Kieran Gibbs played it straight to Magennis, but Ahmed Hegazi muscled him off the ball.

That was a rare blip in a promising start for the Baggies. Unlike many of their games last season, they were the team in charge, moving the ball from flank to flank in an attempt to break down Bolton.

Barnes, who scored two goals here in the inaugural Cyrille Regis Shield, had the first shot of the match after some determined approach play, but it was easily held by Ben Alnwick.

But it was Bolton who opened the deadlock with their first real spell of pressure, and it was a simple goal that will have displeased Moore.

Bartley had been winning everything in the air up until then, but in the 18th minute nobody in blue and white got near Sammy Ameobi's floated cross from the right and Magennis rose unchallenged to head past a despairing Johnstone.

That rattled Albion, and the visitors nearly had a second soon after when David Wheater's header from a corner drifted inches wide of the far post.

The hosts came back into it though. Matt Phillips flashed a shot just wide from the edge of the box before Ahmed Hegazi headed Barnes's cross over the bar from a good position.

The two wingers were by far Albion's brightest sparks in the first half, but there was a lack of creativity in the middle and Bolton were standing firm in defence.

The Baggies were also vulnerable to the break and when Gibbs was robbed of possession, Will Buckley nearly turned in Josh Vela's cross at the far post.

It looked like Moore's first half-time team-talk of the season was going to be a stern one until Barnes bailed the Baggies out with a beauty on the stroke of half-time.

Cutting in off the right hand side, the 20-year-old curled a gorgeous, unstoppable shot into Alnwick's top far corner.

That equaliser buoyed the Baggies, who came flying out of the traps in the second half.

Barnes nearly had a second after Rodriguez and Hal Robson-Kanu combined to put him through on goal but his shot was well blocked.

Phillips nearly found Rodriguez with a pacy cross before Allan Nyom burst through the Bolton ranks and fizzed in a dangerous low ball that had to be cleared.

Twenty minutes into the half, Hegazi had the best chance of them all when he met Brunt's corner with his head six yards out.

The Egyptian did everything right, heading the ball down into the ground, but Alnwick somehow tipped it over the bar.

Up the other end, Johnstone had to beat away Magennis's effort after the striker had evaded Nyom at the back post.

As the minutes ticked down, the tension rose, with neither team looking able to grab all three points.

With 15 minutes to go, Moore sent on Oliver Burke for goalscorer Barnes, although the crowd had earlier been calling for Morrison.

But it was Phillips who still looked most dangerous, and he flashed another cross-come-shot past the far post soon after.

Albion were camped inside Bolton's half but despite their probing, they were unable to break them down, and then two minutes from time they were hit with a late sucker-punch.

Once again a simple cross into the box - this time a corner - caused problems for the hosts and after it was nodded goalwards, Bolton substitute Wildschut reaction quickest to turn the ball past Johnstone.

It crept into the bottom corner in slow-motion, and brought back painful memories of late goals conceded last season.

There was still time for Hegazi to smack the crossbar with a header from a corner at the other end, but in truth, this was a rude awakening to life in the Championship.

Key moments

18' GOAL BOLTON - Josh Magennis rises highest in the box to head home a simple cross from the right.

45' GOAL ALBION - Harvey Barnes cuts in off the right flank and curls a 25-yard pearler into the top far corner with his left foot.

65' Huge chance for Hegazi from a Brunt corner. Egyptian does everything right and heads it down, but somehow Alnwick pushes it over the bar.

88' GOAL BOLTON - A corner is headed goalwards before substitute Yanic Wildschut turns it in.

90+1 Hegazi hits the crossbar with a header from a Brunt corner.

Albion man of the match

Matt Phillips - Although Barnes will grab the headlines, Albion's other winger was the most consistent threat on the pitch.

Teams

Albion (4-4-2): Johnstone, Nyom, Hegazi, Bartley, Gibbs, Phillips, Brunt (c), Livermore, Barnes (Burke 76), Robson-Kanu, Rodriguez.

Unused subs: Myhill, Adarabioyo, Townsend, Barry, Morrison, Harper.

Bolton (4-2-3-1): Alnwick, Taylor, Wheater, Lowe, Beevers, Vela, Ameobi (Noone 50), Buckley (Wildschut 78), Olkowski, Murphy (O'Neil 59), Magennis.

Unused subs: Williams, Little, Le Fondre, Hobbs.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham

Attendance: 25,901 (2,519 away)