Rovers’ unbeaten start in the Championship came to an end after a 2-1 defeat against West Brom at Ewood Park.

Alex Mowatt and Matt Phillips were on target for the visitors, while Ben Brereton Diaz pulled one back for the hosts.

Rovers were immediately under pressure, with Thomas Kaminski making a smart stop to deny Jake Livermore before the midfielder was denied by the bar.

And just seconds later, Mowatt found the top corner with a stunning strike from the edge of the box.

But the hosts responded well to going behind and felt they should have had a penalty when Brett Brereton Diaz went down under contact in the box. Referee Tony Harrington waved away their appeals.

The visitors then came close to a second, with Phillips inches away from reaching Matt Clarke’s looping header.

Midway through the first half, Kaminski made a fine save to tip Callum Robinson’s well-struck effort  from distance over the bar.

Conor Townsend was then left free at the far post but his header was comfortable for Kaminski to deal with.

Leighton Clarkson – making his first start for Rovers after joining on loan from Liverpool – then did well to pick out Brereton Diaz, but the Chilean international couldn’t keep his shot down.

Phillips doubled the Baggies’ lead on the stroke of half-time, tapping home from Karlan Grant’s low cross. The forward had been denied by the post moments earlier.

But Rovers hit back early in the second half following a quick break down the left wing, with a Sam Johnstone error gifting Brereton Diaz the simplest of chances.

Kaminski then made a couple of fine stops from close range, first to keep out Karlan Grant’s effort and then to deny Robinson.

Inside the final 15 minutes, the Rovers stopper was beaten by Furlong’s header but the woodwork came to the hosts’ rescue once again.

Rovers: Kaminski, Carter, Lenihan, Ayala, Pickering, Clarkson (Davenport), Travis, Rothwell (Chapman), Buckley (Dolan), Gallagher, Brereton Diaz

Unused subs: Stergiakis, Butterworth, Cirino, Magloire

West Brom: Johnstone, O'Shea, Bartley, Clarke (Ajayi), Furlong, Livermore, Mowatt, Townsend, Phillips (Diangana), Robinson, Grant (Tulloch)

Unused subs: Button, Reach, Kipre, De Castro