JAMES Morrison's spectacular 79th-minute strike - his first for the club - ensured Albion got back to winning ways.
The Baggies looked like succumbing to Championship draw specialists Blackpool as Scott Vernon's 32nd-minute leveller put the visitors within sight of their eighth stalemate of the season.
Ishmael Miller had given Tony Mowbray's men a deserved 22-minute lead with a smart turn and finish to take his goal tally for the campaign to seven.
But the Baggies, without a win in three games previous to tonight, made it an uncomfortable evening for themselves against the newly-promoted Seasiders before eventually sealing victory and extending their unbeaten home league record to six games.
Bostjan Cesar was handed his Albion league debut as he partnered Martin Albrechtsen at the heart of the Baggies defence.
Leon Barnett was the man to make way as he was left out altogether and Robert Koren dropped to the bench, with Chris Brunt elevated to Mowbray's starting XI on the left wing and Filipe Teixeira moving into the centre of the park.
The first effort on goal came in the third minute when Morrison nut-megged Stephen Crainey before cutting inside and firing a tame shot straight at Paul Rachubka.
Three minutes later Teixeira's blocked effort on goal spun to Kevin Phillips, whose low 20-yard snapshot faded wide of the left-hand post.
Ishmael Miller and Teixeira combined well down the left in the 12th minute and cut the Tangerines defence open, only for on-loan Manchester City striker Miller to fire wide of the left-hand upright from just inside the area.
Phillips picked out an unmarked Morrison at the back post in the 18th minute and the former Middlesbrough midfielder fired in a harmless-looking volley, which Rachubka spilt and was lucky to see squirm just past the post for a corner.
The Baggies finally found the opening they were looking for in the 22nd minute when the ball broke to Miller just inside the box and he turned Michael Jackson before firing a low skidding finish in off the left-hand post.
Albion had a lucky escape in the 27th minute when Michael Jackson's goalbound volley from outside the area was blocked by his own man Vernon, who was standing in an off-side position following a free-kick for the visitors.
But it was only a temporary reprieve as Wes Hoolahan set Keigan Parker off towards goal and he fended off Cesar before feeding Vernon on the edge of the penalty area.
The lanky Blackpool striker coolly nut-megged Albrechtsen before firing home under Dean Kiely to level the scores.
A minute later Morrison wasted a golden opportunity to restore Albion's lead as he raced onto Miller's slide-rule pass only to see his drive saved by Rachubka.
The hosts almost stole a half-time lead in injury-time when Robinson slotted Brunt in on goal but his shot deflected up onto the crossbar and away to safety.
Albrechtsen then almost found another goal for the Baggies as he connected with Jonathan Greening's right-wing corner at the back post only to see his downward header bounce agonisingly wide.
Simon Grayson made a change at the break as Michael Jackson made way for his namesake Matt Jackson at the heart of the Seasiders' defence.
Three minutes into the second half Morrison prodded the ball through to Miller on the edge of the box but, after turning Keith Southern, his shot lacked the power to beat Rachubka.
A swift counter-attack by Mowbray's men gave Teixeria the chance to play Miller in on goal three minutes later and, with Phillips screaming for it in the six-yard box, the giant hitman chose to go it alone and fired a vicious drive into the arms of Rachubka.
Albrechtsen made a vital last-ditch challenge in the 54th minute to prevent Vernon stabbing home his second goal of the game from David Fox's low right-wing cross.
Shaun Barker played Parker into a dangerous position inside the penalty area in the 57th minute and Albrechtsen was again called on to block for a corner.
On the hour-mark Crainey floated in a deep cross from the left and Barker powered in to head just inches wide from close range.
Three minutes later Miller teed up Phillips 20 yards out but the in-form hotshot uncharacteristically screwed his shot horribly wide.
Immediately after that Mowbray made a switch as Sherjill MacDonald replaced Brunt.
Barker squared for Southern 20 yards out in the 68th minute and Kiely had to be alert to beat out his exocet, which looked like creeping under the crossbar.
Barker was in the action again in the 78th minute when he crossed for Vernon, who headed straight at Kiely from a threatening position.
But just a minute later MacDonald's attempted ball into the box rebounded out to Morrison, who let fly with a first-time 20-yard strike that arrowed into the top right-hand corner of the net to seal the three points for Albion.
ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; Hoefkens, Albrechtsen, Cesar, Robinson; Morrison, Greening (Koren 70), Teixeira (Gera 74), Brunt (MacDonald 63); Phillips, Miller. Subs not used: Pele, Slusarski.
BLACKPOOL (4-4-2): Rachubka; Barker, Gorkss, Michael Jackson (Matt Jackson HT), Crainey; Coid (Taylor-Fletcher 78), Fox (Flynn 82), Southern, Hoolahan; Parker, Vernon. Subs not used: Jorgensen, Welsh.
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Robinson (foul 26); BLACKPOOL - Parker (foul 35).
GOALS: ALBION - Miller (22), Morrison (79); BLACKPOOL - Vernon (32).
REFEREE: M Pike (Cumbria).
ATTENDANCE: 22,030.
ALBION STARMAN: James Morrison.
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