On Saturday afternoon West Bromwich Albion rounded off their pre-season schedule ahead of the coming Championship campaign of 2018/19 by taking victory over Coventry City in the inaugural Regis Trophy.
A special occasion and some special goals!#RegisShield | #WBA https://t.co/84Ij8n0SDw
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) July 28, 2018
Summer loan signing Harvey Barnes and Welsh international striker Hal Robson-Kanu both helped themselves to first-half braces, and Jake Livermore added our fifth in a 5-2 victory. Reise Allassani and Jordan Thompson netted for the visitors and a bumper pre-season crowd of 7,590 rocked up to The Hawthorns to help pay tribute to Cyrille in the commemorative fixture.
We become the first to lift the trophy and the big man well loved around the Midlands given the playing career he had, this is going to be a special fixture in the years to come where local rivalry largely goes out of the window and is simply replaced by memories of the man himself.
“For me personally it was a great start to get the two goals and the assist for Hal.”@harveybarnes97’s thoughts…💬#WBA https://t.co/MPT4bOCi80
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) July 28, 2018
The game does, of course, bring an end to pre-season preparations and all thoughts turn to the big kick-off against Bolton Wanderers on home soil next weekend.
West Brom:
Johnstone, Cranie (Wilson 79), Bartley, Hegazi (Fitzwater 76), Gibbs (Rodriguez 69), Phillips (Burke 79), Brunt, Livermore (Harper 79), Barnes (Leko 76), Morrison (Edwards 79), Robson-Kanu (Barry 69).
Subs:
Bond, Rondon.
Goals – Barnes (6, 8), Robson-Kanu (31, 40), Livermore (52).
Coventry City:
O’Brien (Burge 45), Grimmer (Thompson 59), McDonald (Willis 71), Hyam (Davies 45), Brown (Mason 45), Maycock (Sterling 59), Doyle (Ogogo 66), Allassani, Ponticelli (Bayliss 45), Shipley (Andreu 45), Clarke-Harris (Biamou 45).
Goals – Allassani (44), Thompson (72).
The pick of the bunch 👌🏼🔥
Check out all the goals from Saturday's clash with Coventry City…
Highlights ➡️ https://t.co/CdXRq5SUVk#WBA pic.twitter.com/C6hwH3BJk8
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) July 28, 2018
Speaking to wba.co.uk following the game, head coach Darren Moore believed it had been a fitting tribute to the legend.
“It was a fantastic occasion and a fitting tribute by both clubs’ supporters and staff to a wonderful man and a legend in the professional game. Most importantly he was a fabulous man. I was really pleased with the game. There were lots of goals and from our perspective, it was good to see some things work today – some shapes and patterns – and I was really pleased. The boys acquitted themselves really well and it signed off the pre-season programme with a positive result.”
💙🙏🏼🏆#RegisShield | #WBA pic.twitter.com/QHb6smnjWc
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) July 28, 2018