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The goals were almost strange affairs, scoring from a corner and then a Turf Moor penalty to clinch it, Michael Duff getting the first one and Andy Gray making no mistake from the spot.
I'd thought we might start with the side that kicked off against Apollon Limassol a week ago but there were three changes to that line up. Fit again Wayne Thomas replaced Stephen Foster, Joey Gudjonsson was preferred to James O'Connor in the midfield and Jon Harley got the nod ahead of Steve Jones on the left hand side.
That meant Burnley debuts for goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly and Stephen Jordan whilst Robbie Blake made his second debut against the same club he made his first Burnley appearance against over five and a half years ago.
As is the case more often than it was another warm day for the season's opener and we started brightly. Twice from corners we should probably have done better with headers but it was far from one way and it was West Brom who came closest to taking the lead when a header looked to be on its way into the net before hitting Duff.
Robbie and Gray were linking up well and there was some good sharp passing as the Clarets looked to get forward but we weren't able to breach the visitors' defence. We won another corner and this time it proved to be our undoing. The flag kick came to nothing and we were well and truly caught out when Zoltan Gera got the ball to Kevin Phillips.
Jordan looked as though he might have cut it out but once Phillips turned inside Duff the writing was on the wall and he placed his shot into the left hand corner giving Gabor no chance whatsoever.
It was a lead they didn't really deserve but it changed the game. We really struggled to get back into it and West Brom started to dominate. Things went worse for us when captain Steven Caldwell was forced off with a hamstring injury on the half hour and that forced a reshuffle with Kyle Lafferty coming on. Kyle went on the left hand side of midfield, Harley dropped back to left back with Jordan going into the centre.
I would say we were probably thankful to get to half time at 1-0, the bright start had long gone and we had conceded the midfield area with both Gudjonsson and McCann struggling to make any impact on the game.
Whilst Cotterill got on with sorting things out we were treated to some keepy-uppy from Daniel Magness, this after former Claret and Baggie Micky Mellon had been on to warm applause from all four sides of the ground.
Back out for the second half we needed to get back into the game and that's exactly what we did. We won another corner, on the right, and Robbie's kick was perfect. It found Duff at the back post and he made no mistake with his header for our first goal of the season.
Level and game on, and in the second half we looked a different side. We attacked at every chance, the midfield started to get a grip on things whilst at the back Thomas and Jordan won just about everything in front of an assured Kiraly.
Kyle, out on the left wing was giving them a torrid time with some penetrating runs and only a poor shot at goal at the end of one of his runs let him down. Gray should have given us the lead but failed with what looked an easy header following a Gudjonsson free kick.
We looked the most likely now and with just about twenty minutes to go we played our trump card. On came Ade Akinbiyi and Albion simply couldn't cope with him. This is not the Ade of last season, and for those who say you can't get your pace back at 31, here was proof that you can.
He did what Ade does. He run at them and caused them one moment of panic with a move down the right that ended with a shot just wide of goal. Then he missed the simplest of chances with a header as bad as any you are likely to see following a Harley cross.
He wasn't finished though. He got onto a ball from Gray and this time the only way Neil Clement could stop him was to handle the ball. The assistant put his flag across his chest and referee Ilderton pointed to the spot, a rare Turf Moor occurrence.
Why I think of some things I don't know, but I instantly recalled the last time Dean Kiely faced a penalty at Burnley, playing for Bury he saved Paul Barnes' effort. That had me worried that he'd do it again, not a chance, as Andy Gray hammered it home.
We started to run the clock down and we got deeper and deeper, worryingly so, but there was one fantastic moment as Kyle got the ball made a run down the pitch to take the ball into the corner. He held off defenders with his new found strength and eventually won a throw in as the crowd rose to him.
Three minutes of stoppage time and one last worry as they got a shot in from distance, saved by Gabor at the expense of a corner. When that came in Thomas headed it clear and that was just about it. Seconds later Ilderton blew his whistle and the first three points were in the bag. I think that means just another 47 required to ensure we'll still be in the Championship next season, well that's our first target.
It was a second half performance that had the Burnley fans buzzing as they left the ground and as well as the team performance there were some excellent individual performances. Duff won the man of the match, I wouldn't have disagreed with Thomas either, but my vote is going to Kyle. He looked quick and strong and when he made those runs West Brom struggled to handle him. Is it any wonder we turned down a £2 million bid?
One swallow doesn't make a summer, a former manager used to say, but we can all be delighted that first swallow arrived this afternoon. I think there could be many more to come yet in this eagerly awaited 2007/08 season.
Teams;
Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Michael Duff, Wayne Thomas, Steven Caldwell (Kyle Lafferty 31), Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson, Chris McCann, Jon Harley, Robbie Blake (Ade Akinbiyi 73), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, James O'Connor, John Spicer
West Brom: Dean Kiely, Carl Hoefkens, Leon Barnett, Neil Clement, Tininho, Richard Chaplow (Pele 70), Zoltan Gera, Jonathan Greening, Filipe Teixeira (James Morrison 64), Craig Beattie (Nathan Ellington 70), Kevin Phillips. Subs not used: Luke Steele, Martin Albrechtsen
Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear)
Attendance: 15,337
