SWINDON Town conceded four goals at home to Premier League opponents for the second time in pre-season as they lost 4-1 to West Bromwich Albion.

Goals from James Morrison, who struck twice, Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon sunk Mark Cooper’s side.

Yaser Kasim’s strike on 32 minutes did make the game interesting after Albion had raced into a two-goal lead, but late on Tony Pulis’ men punished some slack Town defending and took their tally to four.

For the first time in pre-season Town lined-up with no trialists in their starting XI, as Cooper stuck with the 4-3-3 formation he employed against Aston Villa.

It did not last long, as the Town boss opted to switch to his tried and trusted 3-5-2 after his side found themselves 2-0 down after 22 minutes.

Having controlled the ball for the game’s opening salvo, the home side contrived to hand their visitors the initiative.

The source of Albion’s goals were unnervingly predictable. The first came as Town failed to clear their lines from a set-piece. James Morrison, deadly from the edge of the box, pounced and rifled home a half-volley almost unchallenged.

The next came as Kasim gifted the ball to the West Brom frontline, allowing Anichebe to slot past Town stopper Tyrell Belford.

Town did improve after switching to three at the back. Byrne, Obika and Stewart all took sighters at Myhill’s goal, before Kasim eventually found the back of the net with a low, placed, effort from 25 yards.

As the game reached the break, buoyed by their avenue back into the contest, Town’s play increased in confidence.

They continued to show that same swagger in the first 10 minutes after half time and had a good chance to get an equaliser.

After Byrne had wasted good position having got in behind the last Albion man, Stewart picked up the pieces and worked a yard in the box, but blazed his shot into the Town End.

The ball pinged from end to end for the rest of the half as changes robbed the game of its flow. Town introduced a couple of new faces to their seemingly endless list of trialists.

Lawrence Vigoroux, a Liverpool youth team stopper, entertained with his erratic distribution after being introduced at the break and Richard Eckersly, formerly a Manchester United junior, looked steady at right-back.

There were two more unknowns who came on for Town. The second, a nippy attacking midfielder with a flowing afro, the most impressive, breaking well from midfield on a couple of occasions.

Late on Morrison and Sessegnon added two goals in quick succession to take the score 4-1.

The third came from a nice Albion move, with Morrison converting a cute pass from Sessegnon. The last as Vigoroux spilt Brown Ideye’s long-range drive into the path of the Benin international.

Town (4-3-3) – Belford (Vigouroux, 45); Thompson (C), Williams (Eckersly, 61), Branco, Ormonde-Ottewill (Brophy, 66); Kasim (Rodgers, 66), Traore, Stewart; Byrne, Obika (Unknown, 61), Hylton (Smith, 61).

West Brom (4-4-2) - Myhill; Gardner, McAuley (O’Neil, 42), Lescott, Brunt; McClean, Fletcher (C), Morrison, McManaman; Anichebe, Berahino (Sessegnon, 58).