ALBION stepped up their pre-season preparations with a creditable draw against a tasty Hajduk outfit.

With the Croatian top-flight kicking off in just eight days' time, and the Baggies only playing their second friendly, the two teams were worlds apart in terms of their readiness for the new campaign.

And although Dean Kiely was by far the busier of the keepers, Tony Mowbray's men can take a lot of heart from this battling display.

Not even young David Worrall's harsh sending-off ten minutes from time could take the gloss off a satisfying evening on the Adriatic coast against last season's runners-up in Croatia.

With no fresh injury problems from Albion's opening friendly at Histon, Mowbray handed international duo Robert Koren and Zoltan Gera their first pre-season action with midfield starting berths.

The Baggies boss also began with new boy Craig Beattie and Kevin Phillips as a front pair for the first time.

With a sizable section of Hajduk fans providing vociferous support throughout, not to mention setting off the odd flare, this fixture felt anything but a pre-season friendly.

Albion looked at home inside the two-thirds full Poljud Stadium during the opening stages.

And Split centre-half Igor Gal had to produce an acrobatic clearance after just two minutes to prevent Beattie's cross finding Phillips.

With the Baggies enjoying plenty of possession in the opposition half, the hosts' early threat came via swift counter-attacks.

One such promising break ended somewhat tamely with striker Ante Rukavina firing weakly into the side-netting.

Ivan Pudar's side began stamping their authority on proceedings but Romanian international Florin Cernat, the most impressive player on the park, gave Kiely little trouble with a 20-yard free-kick which the ex-Ireland international easily gathered.

Inside 60 seconds, Jonathan Greening earned the respect of the home hordes when they enthusiastically applauded his audacious backheel on the edge of his own box!

Nikola Kalinic then threatened twice in the 18^th minute.

The Hajduk forward first headed Cernat's corner just wide before racing onto a long ball over the top, holding off Curtis Davies and firing the wrong side of Kiely's near-post from an acute angle.

The Split pressure continued and Paul McShane denied that man Kalinic a clear sight of goal with a delicately-timed challenge ten yards out.

And Kiely had to produce a wonderful finger-tip save low to his right to divert Mladen Pelaic's 30-yard drive around his far post.

But Albion were still seeing plenty of the ball and could even have taken the lead had Beattie's cross not been a yard ahead of the unmarked Gera's outstretched boot on the edge of the six-yard box.

After Albion lost possession deep inside the Hajduk half, the home side had the Baggies defence in sixes and sevens with another swift counter-attack.

Drago Gabric neatly played in Rukavina who had all the time in the world to find Kalinic, only to wastefully pull the ball behind his unmarked strike partner, allowing Albion to clear their lines.

The Baggies enjoyed some respite with a passage of keep-ball which featured Gera whistling a 30-yard effort past Vladimir Balic's far post, although the Split keeper had it covered.

However, Hajduk finished the half strongly and right-midfielder Pelaic was unlucky to see his expert 15-yard volley fly just wide following a neat one-two with Kalinic.

Kiely then did well to gather an awkward 20-yard drive from Split skipper Mirko Hrgovic at the second attempt before Phillips limped off in the closing seconds and was replaced by Nathan Ellington.

Mowbray rang four changes at the break, with Darren Carter, Sherjill MacDonald, Paul Robinson and Ronnie Wallwork replacing Richard Chaplow, Koren, Jared Hodgkiss and Gera.

And it took the new-look side just four minutes to create Albion's best chance of the game.

Beattie and Ellington combined well on the edge of the box to create a clear sight of goal for MacDonald, but the Dutch Under-21 hitman dragged his 15-yard effort wide of the near post.

In the 52^nd-minute, the lively Kalinic finally found a way past the impressive Kiely, only to see his 'goal' ruled out for offside.

Kalinic continued to be Hajduk's biggest threat and the powerful striker wasn't too far away with a downward header from Rukavina's exquisite centre.

Kiely was the next to frustrate Kalinic when he clawed away Hrgovic's hanging centre to deny the Split No.9 a simple header into an empty net.

The game ended somewhat controversially when 17-year-old sub Worrall was shown a straight 80^th-minute red card after he and team-mate Carter had combined to challenge Pelaic.

The ex-Bury starlet had only been on the field for six minutes and had strong grounds to feel aggrieved about his punishment.

The ten-men had two late scares.

Rukavina directed a powerful diving header straight at the alert Kiely from Hrgovic's left-wing cross before sub Dario Damjanovic struck the far post with an instinctive eight-yard prod from a low centre.

But the tourists held on to earn an encouraging clean sheet - a just reward for Paul McShane's rock-solid display.

HADJUK (4-4-2): Balic; Buljat, Gal, Zivkovic, Hrgovic; Pelaic (Musa 82), Andric (Damjanovic 67), Cernat, Gabric (Lisztes 72); Kalinic, Rukavina. Subs not used: Tomic (gk), Cubrilo, Ljubicic, Oremus, Rubil, Panza.

ALBION (4-1-3-2): Kiely; Hodgkiss (Robinson HT), Davies, McShane, Albrechtsen; Koren (Carter HT); Gera (Wallwork HT), Greening (Worrall 74), Chaplow (MacDonald HT); Phillips (Ellington 45), Beattie (Hartson 60). Subs not used: Daniels (gk), Martis, Nicholson.

GOALS: None.

BOOKINGS: ALBION - Koren (foul 31), McShane (dissent 89).

SENDING-OFF: ALBION - Worall (foul 80).

REFEREE: E Trivkovic (Split).

ATTENDANCE: 22,000 approx.

ALBION STARMAN: Paul McShane.

PICS: TOP RIGHT: Gera in action against Hadjuk; ABOVE: Split fans in full voice tonight.

Look out for extended highlights of Albion's tour opener against Hajduk Split tomorrow on Albion TV. To sign up for just £1.99, click here.