Burton Albion 0 West Brom 1 - Report and pictures

The £15million striker headed home with 13 minutes remaining to bag his second goal in three games and edge the Baggies past the Championship Brewers.

Nacer Chadli had earlier come closest to breaking the deadlock when he hit the bar from close range.

Albion keeper Ben Foster was largely untroubled as another new signing, Ahmed Hegazi impressed in defence.

Victory saw Tony Pulis’s men lift the Bass Charity Vase, a pre-season trophy which has been contested since 1890, at the end of the game.

The Baggies head coach named a strong team at the Pirelli Stadium which included Rodriguez and Hegazi, the club’s only summer signings to this point, along with skipper Jonny Evans. Only four substitutes were named on the bench.

More intriguing was the manner in which Albion lined up, with Evans and Hegazi joined by Craig Dawson in a back three and Matt Phillips and Allan Nyom employed as a wing-backs.

Rodriguez was meanwhile paired with Salomon Rondon in attack and the two combined for the game’s first real opening on 15 minutes, the former curling an effort about a yard wide after being found in space by his strike partner.

Chadli then should have put the Baggies ahead five minutes later but having shown good skill to bring a Rodriguez chip through under control, the Belgian lifted his finish onto the bar from six yards out with just goalkeeper Stephen Bywater to beat.

The latter did well to hold a dipping Rondon free-kick at the second attempt as Albion continued to look the more incisive team in attack.

Yet Burton carried a threat themselves and Lloyd Dyer squandering a good chance when he lashed a shot over the bar from 12 yards out in space.

Other than that moment, it was Albion who continued to create more openings before the break. Rondon fired over from distance, while a vital block was needed from Burton centre-back Kyle McFadzean to deflect a goalbound Chadli effort behind.

The hosts were the first to threaten in the second period with former Villa player Stephen Warnock firing in a low cross which Baggies keeper Foster was forced to palm behind.

Having barely had a touch during the first period, Foster was called into action again just past the hour mark, saving low down to his left from Hope Akpan after a smart move from the improving Brewers had opened up the visiting defence.

Albion were still struggling to test Bywater. Chadli did well to work space on the edge of the box but fired his finish at least two yards over the bar.

Finally with 13 minutes the breakthrough arrived. Albion were close to going ahead a minute earlier when Hegazi headed back across goal and McFadzean deflected the ball over his own bar from a yard out.

From the corner, Rodriguez rose unmarked at the far post to head home Phillips’s corner, the ball flying in off the post.

He almost bagged a second soon after but was unable to turn home on the stretch after Bywater had saved from substitute Callum McManaman.

Burton (3-5-2): Bywater, Buxton (Mousinho 63), McFadzean (McCrory 81), Warnock, Lund, Akpan (Akins 63), Murphy, Irvine, Dyer, Sordell (Sbarra 70), Boyce (Palmer 67) Subs not used: Fox, Campbell (gk).

Albion (4-4-2): Foster, Dawson, Evans (c), Hegazi, Nyom, Phillips (Melbourne 90), Livermore, Yacob, Chadli (Tulloch 84), Rondon (Mcmanaman 70), Rodriguez Subs not used: Palmer (gk).