CRAIG Beattie grabbed his first Albion goal as Tony Mowbray's men preserved their unbeaten pre-season record by netting three times inside ten second-half minutes.

Man-of-the-night Rickie Lambert deservedly fired Rovers two-up by scoring in the 6^th and 48^th minutes in this pulsating West Country clash.

Albion turned the game on its head when goals from former Pirate Nathan Ellington - his first pre-season strike - summer signing Beattie and Darren Carter - his second in as many games - earned the Baggies a 66^th-minute lead.

But defeat would have been harsh on an energetic Rovers side and striker Lambert fittingly clawed them level by completing a memorable hat-trick 17 minutes from time.

Despite the goal glut, it was Albion keeper Dean Kiely who pushed Lambert all the way for the night's top-performer vote, keeping the visitors in the game with a string of fine saves.

Mowbray named four of his five summer signings to date in his Memorial Stadium XI.

New boy Leon Barnett partnered Curtis Davies in defence for the first time since their Luton youth-team days together, while Portuguese imports Tininho and Filipe Teixeira and £1.25million man Beattie also started.

Mowbray made his attacking intentions clear from the off by fielding an experimental 4-3-3 formation - but it was Rovers who almost drew first blood.

Inside the first minute, Kiely had to pull off a stunning reflex save to divert Rovers right-midfielder Sammy Igoe's 20-yard snapshot over his bar.

Albion settled the game down with a period of keep-ball, only for Rovers to take a sixth-minute lead thanks to a neat right-wing move which capitalised on slack Baggies marking.

Right-back Aaron Lescott's centre was flicked on by the unmarked Richard Walker and his strike partner Lambert had the freedom of the penalty area to plant a firm header past the helpless Kiely.

The Baggies enjoyed plenty of possession during the opening exchanges but got little change out of a Rovers side which packed plenty of men behind the ball.

And it was the hosts who went close again in the 15^th minute when Igoe fired over from just inside the box following Walker's neat lay-off.

The Pirates then had loud penalty appeals turned away when left-winger Lewis Haldane went sprawling after clashing with Jared Hodgkiss.

Albion recorded their first meaningful effort on goal in the 18^th minute when keeper Steve Phillips had to be alert to beat away Zoltan Gera's 16-yard strike.

Beattie had an even better chance moments later when he glanced a free header from captain Jonathan Greening's corner just wide of the far post.

The Baggies were now keeping Paul Trollope's side pegged back inside their own half and Kevin Phillips fashioned another chance with a defence-splitting pass to Hodgkiss.

The young right-back teed up Beattie whose 20-yard curler flew straight at keeper Phillips.

Back came Rovers, who twice went agonisingly close to making it 2-0 inside the 23^rd minute.

Only Davies' goalline block and clearance kept out Lambert's close-range prod after Albion failed to properly clear a Pirates corner.

The ball came straight back into the Baggies box and Walker should have done much better with his free shot at goal instead of tamely poking the ball straight at the grateful Kiely.

For a pre-season friendly, the entertainment value was high and Albion went frustratingly close to drawing level in the 29^th minute.

The lively Beattie collected the ball just inside the Bristol box before jinking inside his man and curling a right-footed shot past Phillips' despairing drive and off the inside of the far post.

The rebound flew to former Rovers striker Ellington who shot well wide.

Keeper Phillips was then well-positioned to clutch Greening's powerful volley after the Rovers rearguard had only half-cleared a Phillips free-kick.

Moments later, returning hero Ellington, who scored 44 goals in just 95 starts during a three-year stint with the West Country club, fired just wide from 25 yards.

But it was Rovers who had the last say of the half.

Kiely first had to be alert to turn Igoe's low drive around his near post from Lescott's slide-rule pass.

From the ensuing corner, Pirates centre-half Byron Anthony saw his hooked shot loop over Kiely's outstretched arm and bounce back off the bar.

Fellow centre-half Steve Elliott looked certain to knock home the rebound but Hodgkiss and Barnett combined to keep the ball out.

But Albion's luck ran out just three minutes after the break.

Left-back Chris Carruthers' centre was nodded clinically home by Lambert, who was again granted a free header.

Albion regrouped and pulled one back in the 56^th minute.

After the visitors had worked the ball well on the left, Ellington ghosted across the box before drilling a 20-yard effort inside the bottom left-hand corner.

But Albion had another huge let-off less than 60 seconds later.

Walker raced onto a pinpoint Lescott throughball and smashed the inside of Kiely's far post.

The ball bounced straight back to the ex-Villa man who, off-balance, shot tamely into the side-netting.

In keeping with this free-flowing game, Albion surged back upfield and bagged a 61^st-minute equaliser.

Beattie neatly controlled Phillips' lofted ball into the box and spun his marker before drilling an unstoppable right-footed shot from the acutest of angles inside the far corner.

But Albion continued to look vulnerable at the back and were relieved to see Igoe race through and fire straight at Kiely from 18 yards.

Incredibly, Mowbray's men were ahead in the 66^th minute.

After Phillips had been pushed inside the 'D', sub Carter, who had been on the field just five minutes, curled a left-footed free-kick low through the brittle Bristol wall and inside the left-hand corner.

But the scoring wasn't finished yet.

In the 73^rd minute, that man Lambert controlled sub Andy Williams' pass and smashed the ball past Kiely from just inside the box to complete his treble.

And Kiely had to produce another great save three minutes later to prevent the former Rochdale man adding a fourth from a ferocious 20-yard drive.

Kiely saved his best stop of the night for the 79^th minute when he somehow clawed away Joe Jacobson's downward header from fellow sub David Pipe's centre.

But opposite number Phillips also had to be on his toes in the dying minutes.

The Bristol No.1 produced smart saves to keep out long-range efforts from Carter and Gera before referee Steve Door called time on this end-to-end cracker.

ROVERS (4-4-2): Phillips; Lescott, Anthony, Elliott, Carruthers; Igoe (Pipe 70), Campbell, Disley, Haldane (Jacobson 61); Lambert (Rigg 88), Walker (Williams 70). Subs not used: Green (gk), Rose, Hinton, Palmer, Sandell.

ALBION (4-3-3): Kiely; Hodgkiss (Albrechtsen 61), Barnett, Davies, Tininho; Gera, Greening, Teixeira (Carter 61); Ellington, Phillips (MacDonald 70), Beattie. Subs not used: Daniels (gk), Martis.

GOALS: ROVERS - Lambert (6, 48 & 73). ALBION - Ellington (56), Beattie (61), Carter (66).

BOOKINGS: None.

REFEREE: S Dorr (Worcestershire).

ATTENDANCE: 3,221 (363 Albion fans).

ALBION STARMAN: Dean Kiely.

PIC: GOAL GLEE...Scorer Carter is congratulated by Beattie and Ellington, who also got on scoresheet 

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