ALBION were on the wrong end of a first-half goal blitz as they completed their pre-season tour with a second successive defeat.

The Baggies struggled to contain the Bundesliga new boys' intelligent forward play and conceded four times in the opening 38 minutes.

Nemanja Vucicevic opened the scoring after just 56 seconds before further strikes from Milivoje Novakovic and Fabrice Ehret sandwiched a Roman Bednar own goal to put FC Koln firmly in control of this friendly in the German town of Euskirchen.

Sub Craig Beattie bagged a consolation goal 14 minutes from time.

Tony Mowbray fielded a 4-3-3 formation - with Bednar leading the forward line - for the final match of the club's trip to Holland and Germany.

On-loan Michal Danek was handed his first 'senior' start while Do-heon Kim began in midfield.

Knee-injury victim Robert Koren watched the friendly in the stands with new boy Marek Cech.

FC Koln were much further down the line in terms of pre-season preparations - and it showed.

Danek was picking the ball out of his net less than a minute into his 'debut'.

Paul Robinson failed to deal with centre-half Youssef Mohamad's raking crossfield pass. Vucicevic pounced on the loose ball, cut in from the flank and fired low into the far corner of Danek's net from 20 yards.

In the fourth minute, Luke Moore tried to reply from similar distance, only to see his grass-cutter slide just past the left-hand post.

Ishmael Miller went even closer in the 11^th minute when he held off two defenders on the edge of the box and saw his low right-footed shot turned away by keeper Faryd Mondragon.

Albion were passing the ball with real authority - but were fortunate not to fall two behind in the 13^th minute.

That man Vucicevic exchanged a clever one-two with Roda Antar to go clear in the box and only Danek's brilliant block kept the score at 1-0.

Vucicevic was first to the rebound and laid a great chance on a plate for Antar, who could only side-foot wide from 12 yards.

Albion appeared to have won a corner in the 20^th minute when Neil Clement saw a ferocious 20-yard free-kick take the slightest deflection off the FC Koln wall and fly just over.

Referee Marcus Kuhl signalled for a corner, only to change his mind when the FC Koln players protested vociferously!

Danek was called into action again in the 22^nd minute when he did well to clutch Mohamad's deflected 25-yard drive from a short free-kick.

Moments later, the FC Koln defender intervened at the other end by sliding in to divert Robinson's snapshot inside the box out for a corner.

Danek could do little to prevent Novakovic doubling FC Koln's advantage in the 25^th minute when he rose highest to head home Ehret's pinpoint cross.

Only a smart Mondragon save prevented Kim from reducing the arrears from 25 yards 60 seconds later. The impressive James Morrison slammed in the rebound but was adjudged offside.

Albion were three down a minute later.

Miso Brecko whipped a left-wing free-kick across the six-yard box and the ball appeared to be turned into his own net by Bednar, even though the matchday announcer credited Antar with the goal.

In the 37^th minute, a long spell of FC Koln possession resulted in Kevin Pezzoni firing well over from 25 yards.

The action swung straight to the other end and Bednar brought a smart near-post save out of Mondragon with an acute drive after FC Koln failed to clear Clement's diagonal ball into the box.

It was 4-0 seven minutes before half-time when Leon Barnett, in attempting to cut out marauding left-back Brecko's low centre, inadvertently directed the ball to Ehret, who fired low past Danek from 15 yards.

Mowbray rang six changes at the break, with Luke Daniels, Pele, David Worrall, Graham Dorrans, Chris Brunt and Craig Beattie coming on for Danek, Clement, Jonathan Greening, Miller, Moore and Bednar.

The second half was a non-event until Daniels showed superb reflexes to turn half-time sub Adil Chihi's fierce left-footed drive around his near-post.

Albion threatened briefly when Dorrans and Morrison tried their luck from distance, but neither failed to trouble Mondragon.

In the 62^nd minute, the nature of the fixture was underlined - when FC Koln made TEN substitutions!

Albion pulled a goal back 14 minutes from time when Beattie raced onto Worrall's pass and brushed side Aleksandar Mitreski before slipping the ball under sub keeper Thomas Kessler.

Slusarski went close to reducing the arrears further in the 79^th minute when he saw a superb back-post volley from Dorrans' excellent centre well held by Kessler.

But that's the closest Albion came to scoring again and the last word almost went to FC Koln sub Taner Yalcin, who rattled the inside of the post from a 20-yard free-kick with the last kick of the game

ALBION (4-3-3): Danek (Daniels HT); Hoefkens (Hodgkiss 64), Barnett, Clement (Pele HT), Robinson (Tininho 64); Morrison (Slusarski 64), Greening (Worrall HT), Kim (MacDonald 75); Moore (Brunt HT), Bednar (Beattie HT), Miller (Dorrans HT). Subs not used: Kiely (gk).

FC KOLN: Mondragon, Brecko, Mohamad, Umit Ozat, Vucicevic, Broich, Novakovic, Pezzoni, Antar, Geromel, Ehret. Subs: Kessler (GK), Matip, Scherz, Brosinski, Nickenig, Andre, Schoneberg, Yalcin, Mitreski, Chihi.

GOALS: FC KOLN - Vucicevic (1), Novakovic (25), Bednar (own goal 27), Ehret (38). ALBION - Beattie (76).

REFEREE: M Kuhl.

ALBION STARMAN: James Morrison.

PIC: JUMP TO THE BEATT...Craig slots home Albion's consolation against FC Koln