JOHN Hartson's third-minute strike earned the Baggies a 1-1 draw in their pre-season opener at Histon.

Dean Kiely ensured Tony Mowbray's side headed into the break in front by keeping out Adrian Cambridge's 18th-minute penalty.

But he was powerless to prevent Stutes sub Antonio Murray leveling the scores for the Blue Square Premier hosts eight minutes into the second half.

Boss Mowbray fielded two different XIs in each half as he ran the rule over his squad ahead of the new Championship season.

The travelling Baggies fans were given their first look at new signings Craig Beattie and Shelton Martis, who both kicked-off the game at the Glass World Stadium.

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And the visitors made the perfect start when Hartson rose highest at the back post to head home a right-wing corner swung in by debutant Jack Compton, who only signed professional forms last week.

Four minutes later, Beattie pounced on Richard Chaplow's throughball but was denied the chance of a debut goal when Matthew Haniver blocked his 18-yard strike.

Fellow striker Kevin Phillips almost caught Daniel Naisbitt unawares in the 11th minute with a dipping 30-yard thunderbolt, which the Stutes keeper just managed to parry clear.

Moments later, Phillips set another debutant, young David Worrall, free down the right and the former Bury starlet crossed for Hartson, who fluffed his effort from ten yards and allowed Naisbitt to gather.

At the other end, Martis tried heroically to prevent the hosts levelling during a goalmouth scramble, only to eventually concede a penalty for handball.

Cambridge stepped up to take the spot-kick but saw the alert Kiely block before recovering to deny the Histon midfielder from the rebound.

Martin Albrechtsen then teed up the industrious Worrall who blazed over from 15 yards.

At the opposite end, Daniel Wright out-muscled Martis but fired over from the edge of the area.

In the 25th minute, Phillips tested Mark Osbourn with a curling right-foot effort that the substitute keeper was equal to.

Histon almost equalised again on the half-hour mark when skipper Jamie Barker connected with Dean Bradshaw's right-wing cross but saw his volley sail just wide.

The Baggies broke swiftly and Hartson was unfortunate not to double his tally when his header from Albrechtsen's centre bounced to safety off the left-hand post.

Albrechtsen could only flick-on Cambridge's deep cross in the 35th minute and allowed Wright a free volley on goal, which flew just wide of the left-hand upright.

Gareth Gwillam's pinpoint cross picked out Cliff Akurang eight minutes before the break but he misdirected his header and allowed Kiely the chance to pluck the ball out of the air.

Albion countered quickly again in the 43rd minute when Chaplow lofted the ball forward for Phillips and his brave prod put Beattie in the clear.

But the lively Scotland international's strike lacked the accuracy to beat Osbourn.

Mowbray changed his entire side at the break, giving Academy players Joss Labadie and Scott Mason and new pro Adrian Manchester their first-team debuts.

Histon also made six changes in the 50th minute as Hanniver, Kennedy, Bradshaw, Akurang, Wright and Barker made way for Robbie Nightingale, Murray, Erkan Okay, Roscoe Hipperson, Phil Bell and Nathaniel Knight-Percival.

And Nightingale should have levelled moments later but his shot from Cambridge's long throw-in deflected just over the bar.

However, three of the subs combined in the 53rd minute to fashion an equaliser.

Nightingale fired Okay's cross goalwards and Murray slid the ball home.

Histon came within inches of snatching the lead just past the hour-mark when Matt Mitchell-King saw his header from Cambridge's left-wing corner headed off the line by the impressive Jared Hodgkiss.

Osbourn fumbled Nathan Ellington's long-range effort in the 74th minute but the Histon stopper was alert to scramble to his feet and deny Stuart Nicholson on the follow-up before Mitchel-King cleared in the nick of time.

Four minutes from time, Albion needed Luke Daniels to be at his best to keep out substitute Phil Bell's close-range effort.

Ellington wasted a great chance to steal victory in the final minute after Labadie's pinpoint long-range pass set him free.

'The Duke' could only loft the ball over the onrushing Osbourn and the bar.

HISTON (4-4-2): Naisbitt (Osbourn 20); Haniver (Nightingale 50), Mitchel-King, Ada, Gwillam (Coulson 76); Bradshaw (Murray 50), Cambridge, Kennedy (Okay 50), Barker (Hipperson 50); Akurang (Bell 50), Wright (Knight-Percival).

ALBION (4-3-3): FIRST-HALF: Kiely; Albrechtsen, Martis, McShane, Compton; Chaplow, Greening, Worrall; Beattie, Hartson, Phillips. SECOND-HALF: Daniels (gk); Mason, Davies, Manchester, Hodgkiss; Labadie, Carter, Nardiello; Nicholson, Ellington, MacDonald.

GOALS: HISTON - Murray (53). ALBION - Hartson (3).

REFEREE: M Thorpe (Ipswich).

ATTENDANCE: 1,245.

ALBION STARMAN: Jack Compton.