Albion boss Roy Hodgson believes the Baggies are on track ahead of the new Premier League season after Craig Dawson’s last-gasp winner at Ashton Gate.

Substitute Dawson’s 88th-minute header brought him his first goal for the club and secured a win for Hodgson’s men in a game they dominated.

New signing Ben Foster made one excellent save as Hodgson collected just his second clean sheet as Albion boss, but the on-loan goalkeeper was largely untested as his side controlled possession for most of the afternoon.

Albion suffered a frustrating day around the City penalty area until Dawson powered home a header from a Graham Dorrans corner.

And Hodgson said: “It was a great workout and a good game of football. It was strange that it ended with only one goal because there were a lot of goal chances.

“I thought we were in positions several times when we should have scored goals but Bristol City had a couple of very good chances themselves. Both teams hit the post and I thought it was strange for the game to finish 1-0.

“But, at this stage in the season, the extra grass on pitches slows things up a bit and gives the goalkeeper an extra chance and both goalkeepers had excellent games.

“I was very pleased with the shape of the team and the way we went about our business against a very good team who are a week ahead of us, in terms of their preparation.”

Albion had two chances in the opening two minutes. The first came from distance when a corner was cleared to Youssouf Mulumbu, who fired just over from 20 yards.

Seconds later a dreadful back pass by Louis Carey gave Somen Tchoyi a chance to break into the box but the Cameroon man delayed his shot, allowing goalkeeper David James to spread himself and parry.

Peter Odemwingie then broke clear and beat James with an emphatic shot but his celebrations were cut short, when the referee awarded a free-kick for a push by the striker on Carey.

Both sides then had openings as Tchoyi beat Carey and burst goalwards for Albion and Albert Adomah raced down the right for City, but neither man could pick out a team-mate with their cross.

Neither of the former England goalkeepers on view had been called into action in the opening 23 minutes but James in the City goal pulled off a fabulous flying, one-handed save to turn a header from Jonas Olsson over the bar from a Chris Brunt free-kick.

Foster’s first save in a Baggies shirt came on 39 minutes but it was a routine one, claiming a tame shot from Nicky Maynard.

A minute later Albion should have led, when Brunt’s clever pass fed Odemwingie and his pass was dummied by Tchoyi for Jerome Thomas, who shot too close to James with the goal at his mercy.

City had not gone close in the first-half but they almost went ahead in the opening minute of the second period when Maynard raced onto Adomah’s neat through ball, beat the sprawling Foster but rattled the base of the woodwork.

A minute later, Foster made the first real stop of his Baggies career as Maynard turned away from Gabriel Tamas and shot towards goal with Foster making a fine reaction save low down, clutching the ball to his chest.

Soon afterwards, James almost matched his opposite number, although Tchoyi should have done better when he darted onto Brunt’s brilliant through ball into a one-on-one with the former England man but fired too close to him, allowing a smart save with his legs.

The second-half lacked intensity until the Baggies twice went close around the 65-minute mark.

First a neat passing move fed Brunt, whose 25-yard shot beat James but thudded off his right-hand post.

Then a clever pass from Tchoyi released Odemwingie, who raced clear but chipped just over the bar.

Foster palmed away a shot from Maynard and then James mishandled a long-range effort from Paul Scharner and saw it loop just over the bar.

The game remained tepid but Albion forced a corner when James Morrison’s shot was deflected over the bar.

And, when Dorrans delivered into the danger zone, Dawson charged in to power home a header and give the Baggies the victory they deserved.

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