CRAIG Beattie's 23rd-minute wonder strike was enough to earn Tony Mowbray's men a comfortable passage into the Carling Cup second round.
Albion controlled the tie from start to finish and Scotland international Beattie kept up his impressive record on Hawthorns soil with the only goal of the game.
The Scotland international, who bagged a hat-trick on his only other appearance at the Black Country venue ten days ago in a friendly against Heerenveen, lashed home a stunning volley.
New boys Pele, James Morrison and Bostjan Cesar, plus Paul Robinson, Jared Hodgkiss, Martin Albrechtsen and Nathan Ellington, all started as Mowbray rang seven changes.
Another new face, Shelton Martis, and young gun David Worrall were named as subs.
Morrison made a lively start to his Hawthorns debut but failed to trouble Cherries keeper Neil Moss with a 20-yard drive.
The Bournemouth No.1 was also well-positioned to comfortably hold Filipe Teixeira's grass-cutter from a similar distance in the tenth minute.
Albion were stroking the ball around the field with supreme confidence and created their best chance to date in the 15th minute.
Ellington's persistence on the edge of the box set up a shooting chance for Morrison, who blazed wide from 15 yards.
Then, from a Teixeira corner, former Albion man Josh Gowling crucially blocked Cesar's goalbound header.
It was no surprise when the hosts took a spectacular lead in the 23rd minute.
Skipper Jonathan Greening turned defence into attack with a stunning 60-yard pass over the top of the Cherries defence to find Beattie.
The Scotland international allowed the ball to bounce once before, with his back to goal, hooking a volley from just inside the box over the pedestrian Moss and into the far corner of the net (pictured below).
Beattie was at it again moments later and only Moss' wonderful one-handed save at full stretch kept out his 25-yard rocket.
After a lull in the game, Morrison sent Ellington clear with another pinpoint ball over the top, but 'Duke' could only fire weakly at Moss from just inside the box.
Seconds later, former Baggies loan signing Warren Cummings had to take evasive action at the far post to deny Ellington a simple tap-in after Teixeira had helped on Robinson's pull-back.
From Greening's ensuing corner, it took another terrific one-handed save by Moss to keep out the impressive Robinson's bullet header as the half drew to a close.
Albion picked up from where they had left off after the break by keeping the League One outfit, who drew at NottinghamForest on Saturday, pegged back.
And only Gowling's last-ditch sliding clearance denied Ellington what looked a certain goal at the near post from Morrison's low cross.
Teixeira swung in the resulting corner and Cesar headed just over from 12 yards.
Although Albion continued to dominate, they had failed to grab a second goal to earn themselves some breathing space as the tie passed the hour-mark, thus giving Kevin Bond's men hope.
Cesar went close again in the 77th minute with another header, this time from Morrison's cross following a short free-kick routine on the edge of the box.
Seventeen-year-old David Worrall came on to make his senior debut during the closing stages and wasn't afraid to try his luck, seeing an ambitious 20-yard volley sail wide.
But Albion hadn't killed the game off and had a real scare three minutes from time when sub Brett Pitman dragged an 18-yard effort just wide from Cummings' centre - the Cherries' first effort on goal.
Back came the Baggies and Moss kept out the impressive Greening's 20-yard missile with a fine two-handed save in the first minute of stoppage time.
ALBION (4-1-2-1-2): Kiely; Hodgkiss, Albrechtsen, Cesar, Robinson; Pele; Morrison, Greening; Teixeira (Worrall 75); Beattie (Nicholson 68), Ellington. Subs not used: Steele (gk), Martis, Clement.
BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2): Moss; Young, Gowling, Pearce, Cummings; Gradel (Cooper 83), Anderton, Christophe, O'Connor (Garry 68); Kuffour (Pitman 68), Vokes. Subs not used: Stewart (gk), Partington.
GOALS: ALBION - Beattie (23).
BOOKINGS: None.
REFEREE: A Taylor (Greater Manchester).
ATTENDANCE: 10,250.
ALBION STARMAN: Jonathan Greening.
