Rotherham 0 West Brom 4: Debutants on mark in Baggies cup cruise

Jimmy-Jay Morgan scored twice on debut as Albion opened the season by routing Rotherham in the Carabao Cup.

The summer signing from Chelsea led the charge as the Baggies began their campaign with a comfortable first round victory in Yorkshire.

Fellow new boy Felix Horn Myhre was also on the mark, after academy product Harry Whitwell had netted his first senior goal.

Fabio Tavares scored a late consolation for the League Two hosts to provide the only blot on Albion’s day, as they reached the second round of the competition for the first time since 2022.

Analysis

Morgan was one of two debutants named in the starting XI by boss James Morrison and the other, Nolan Galves, was also involved in the opener.

The French right-back raced on to a flick from Aune Heggebo and pulled the ball back into the path of Whitwell, whose slightly mis-hit shot was turned into the perfect pass by Morgan, who flicked the ball beyond goalkeeper Ted Cann and into the net.

Morgan almost quickly made it two but saw a shot blocked at close range, while quicker reactions from a Whitwell pass might have created another chance as the Baggies continued to buzz around the home box.

It felt only a matter of time before they scored again and just past the halfway point of the half they did.

Whitwell turned Isaac Price’s pass into the path of Morgan and then continued his run into the box, where he was perfectly placed to tap home the loose ball when Cann could only parry the striker’s shot.

Heggebo thought he had made it three when he finished from close range soon after, only to be denied by a raised flag.

The Norway international should then have done better with a Galves pull back as half-time approached.

Rotherham finally began to show something as an attacking force late in the half but Emmanuel Adegboyega could only blast wide after Morgan had lost possession 25 yards from his own goal.

Whitwell was surprisingly withdrawn at the break yet his replacement, Horn Myhre, would then effectively end the match as a contest 10 minutes after the restart.

That came after Rotherham had enjoyed their best spell with Baggies keeper Max O’Leary, pulling off a fine stop to deny Paul Mullin.

Albion heeded the warning. A neat move ended with Price bursting into the box and though his shot was saved by the legs of Cann, Myhre sent the rebound into the net.

It was the moment which fully broke the Millers and just past the hour mark Morgan made it four, rising to head home Callum Styles’ cross.

Morgan was substituted off just a few minutes later and was replaced by Mikey Johnston, who saw his first action in five months after recovering from a knee injury.

O’Leary was denied a clean sheet late on when Tavares found space in the box to finish. But this was a day of positives for the Baggies ahead of next week’s Championship opener at Norwich.

Key Moments

8 GOAL Jimmy-Jay Morgan opens the scoring, flicking home Harry Whitwell’s mis-hit pass.

24 GOAL Whitwell adds Albion’s second, tapping home the rebound after Morgan’s shot is parried by keeper Ted Cann.

55 GOAL It’s three for the Baggies and a debut goal for Felix Horn Myhre. He nets on the rebound after Isaac Price is denied.

61 GOAL Morgan gets his second, heading home Callum Styles’ cross at the far post.

87 GOAL Fabio Tavares nets a late consolation for the home side.

Teams

Rotherham (4-3-3): Cann, Hall (Rafferty 76), Aljofree, Adegboyega, Otoo, Ashley (Cover 56), Spence, Jellis, Tavares, Mullin (Martha 62), Buyabu (Nemane 76) Subs not used: Ngwenya, Bradshaw, Kaleta, Agbaire, Childs (gk).

Albion (4-2-2-2): O’Leary, Galves, Phillips, Campbell, Styles (Townsend 73), Mowatt (Molumby 73), Diakite, Price, Whitwell (Horn Myhre HT), Morgan (Johnston 65), Heggebo (Stewart 73) Subs: Williams, Mepham, Bielik, Ingram (gk).