TONY Mowbray admits his men will have to scrap all the way if they are to beat away-day specialists Everton at The Hawthorns on Saturday (ko 3pm).

The Toffees boasted the joint-best Barclays Premier League record on the road outside the top-four teams last term thanks to eight wins and four draws from their 19 games.

That form helped seal fifth place for David Moyes' men last season.

And, despite selling striker Andy Johnson to Fulham in the summer and losing their first game 3-2 to Blackburn, Mowbray expects the Mersysiders to be challenging at the top end of the table again.

"You have to judge Everton on last season, when they finished fifth," said the Baggies boss.

"We've had a tough start, playing the team who finished third followed by the ones who finished fifth.

"To finish fifth was a great success and they will be hurting after Saturday's defeat so we have to be ready for them because they will want their first points.

"We need to rise to the challenge of playing a team who, on numerous occasions last year, got victories away from home.

"So we have to be ready and as competitive as we can be for what will be a very difficult weekend.

"Every manager likes to strengthen and, okay, they've lost a striker.

"But on their day they are a pretty awesome team."

Mowbray added: "'m sure they'd rather come to us than go to Old Trafford.

"They will be looking to beat all the teams outside the top six or so and will come as a hungry side on the back of a defeat.

"But they will be in for a tough game."

The Albion chief is expecting a very different style of game to the one his men were involved in against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

"Everton are a totally different team to Arsenal, they have different strengths and they are very important strengths," he said.

"They win a lot away from home because of their style of play.

"They are more attritional and more up-and-at-you than Arsenal.

"We have to be ready for the work-rate and commitment of Everton.

"If we fall short of that we will be on the receiving end." 

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