TWO goals from Karlan Grant secured a comfortable victory for West Brom over Oxford United.

With Elliott Moore still ruled out with the hip injury sustained during the second half of the defeat to Coventry City on Saturday, John Mousinho partnered Ciaron Brown at the back, while triallists Jodi Jones and Jerome Sinclair were handed another chance to impress.

The first half was very much played out at the standard pre-season friendly pace, although United did carve out an early opportunity with just three minutes on the clock.

Playing off the right, Jones slid a reverse ball through for James Henry, however the midfielder – who was in an offside position regardless – saw his effort deflected wide.

The hosts would have to wait more than 20 minutes for their next sight of goal.

It came when Robinson’s side sprung a counter attack, and Sinclair was hauled down by Kyle Bartley.

In a competitive fixture, the referee may well have shown the West Brom centre back a yellow card.

Ultimately, Henry’s free kick just off the right side of the penalty area came to nothing as it curled beyond the near post.

Oisin Smyth displayed some clever touches and passes in the centre of midfield, and with half an hour played, had a shot charged down from the edge of the penalty box, following good work on the left by Billy Bodin.

Five minutes later came the most clearcut of United’s first half opportunities.

Jones did brilliantly to take the ball out of the sky from a long ball across the pitch from the left.

The winger fed Henry, whose shot from close to the corner of the six-yard box was blocked.

The rebound fell to Jones, who attempted to work some space before rifling a slow shot at David Button in the West Brom goal.

The final bit of action for the U’s in the opening period came moments later when Henry sent a low effort wide from 20 yards, although the effort never looked like it would trouble Button.

The usual raft of substitutes interrupted what flow there was in the game, as both sides continued to suss each other out in the second half.

Just after the hour mark, West Brom won consecutive corners with the second one played low to Jayson Molumby who fired a low effort into a crowded box, with United finally able to scramble the ball clear.

In the two minutes that followed, the visitors produced further speculative chances from distance as Molumby and Adam Reach both saw shots charged down.

With 20 minutes to play, the game erupted into life, as both sides created chances.

Adam Reach got down the left for West Brom, and played in John Swift, with the midfielder’s delicate touch sending the ball the wrong side of Jack Stevens’ post.

The visitors did find the net less than a minute later when Karlan Grant was played through on goal, outmuscling James Golding to prod the ball home past Stevens.

United upped their game with Mousinho nodding the ball low into the corner of Button’s goal, only for the goalkeeper to get down low and push the effort away.

Three minutes later, it was West Brom’s turn again to carve a chance, this time Grant pouncing on a Golding error, but the striker looped an effort high and wide.

Grant did grab a second when he pounced on indecisive defending following a corner before an unfortunate late own goal by Yoav Sade sealed a 3-0 win for the second tier side.

Oxford United (4-3-3): Stevens; Forde (Sade 85), Mousinho, Brown, Seddon (Golding 46); Henry (Brannagan 46), McGuane (Johnson 85), Smyth (Browne 46); Jones (Goodrham 67), Sinclair (Taylor 46), Bodin (Davis 78).

Unused subs: Eastwood, Owens, Spasov.

Booked:

West Brom (4-3-3): Button; Furlong, Bartley (Taylor 59), Ajayi, Reach; Livermore, Molumby, Swift; Grant, Dike (Phillips 46), Wallace.

Unused subs: Palmer, Ashworth, Townsend, Gardner-Hickman, Mowatt.

Booked:

Referee: John Busby

Attendance: 2,422 (639 away)