JONAS Olsson's successful return from a two-month knee injury lay-off put the icing on the cake as Albion reserves cruised to a 2-1 win over Midlands rivals Stoke at The Hawthorns.

Chris Wood - fresh from his run of ten goals in his last seven Under-18s games - made an impressive home Barclays Premier Reserve League (South) debut.

And the 17-year-old striker capped his performance by heading home the opener three minutes before half-time.

Josh Knight doubled the lead ten minutes after the break and the Baggies could have won by a much bigger margin.

Lively player-makers Juan Carlos Menseguez and Filipe Teixeira consistently opened up a typically stubborn Potters defence as they both enjoyed 90-minute run-outs.

At the other end Albion were rarely troubled as Olsson played 45 minutes, as planned, before being replaced by Jamal Clarke.

And only an injury-time cracker from Andy Griffin denied the hosts a clean-sheet.

The first action of the game saw the Baggies on the attack with young gun Wood teeing up Do-heon Kim, who fired just wide of the right-hand post from 25 yards in the fourth minute.

Albion threatened again three minutes later when Wood was fouled by Ibrahima Sonko and Marek Cech forced Steve Simonsen to dive to his left to save from the resultant 25-yard free-kick.

The hosts were dominating possession and Teixeira showed good skill in the 11th minute to bring the ball down in midfield and find Menseguez on the right.

The on-loan Argentine winger ran at Griffin and let fly with a skidding 15-yard effort that Simonsen just managed to clutch.

Three minutes later Graham Dorrans tried his luck from 35 yards and saw his shot whistle inches past the right-hand post.

Knight swapped wings with Menseguez and found a low cross in the 18th minute that Wood came within inches of tucking home before Leon Cort cleared the danger.

Moments later Teixeira tested Potters goalkeeper Simonsen again as he dropped low to his right to hold the Portuguese ace's 20-yard strike.

Albion almost shot themselves in the foot on the half-hour mark when Cech mishit his clearance from Stephen Kelly's free-kick straight to Henri Camara.

The former Wolves hitman had the goal at his mercy - but blazed horribly over from six yards out.

Five minutes before the break Wood showed good strength to hold off Sonko from Shelton Martis' lofted ball and find Teixeira in space.

The former PSG midfielder controlled well before sending a dipping 20-yard volley a shade past the right-hand post.

The Baggies finally made their pressure tell in the 42nd minute when a neat move saw Cech deliver a raking left-wing cross that Wood coolly headed home from close range at the back post.

As planned, Olsson made way at the break for 16-year-old centre-half Jamal Clarke.

The first effort on goal of the second-half came from City in the 49th minute when Dorrans gifted the ball to Olofinjana, who powered forward and struck a 25-yard shot that Kiely flung himself to his left to hold.

At the opposite end Menseguez and Teixeira were still causing the visitors problems and both saw long-range strikes drift past the right-hand upright.

The Baggies doubled their lead in the 55th minute when Kim broke into the box and his cut-back ran for Teixeira.

Simonsen could only parry his first-time shot and Josh Knight fired home the rebound.

Albion almost made it three in the 71st minute when Menseguez slotted Wood in on goal - but Simonsen did well to grab his shot at the second attempt.

Simonsen was slow off his line to deal with a back-pass in the 85^th minute and the City keeper collided with Wood as he cleared the ball.

Substitute Sebastien Lake-Gaskin was quick to pounce and fire a first-time effort towards the empty goal from a difficult angle, only to see it drift wide.

A world class save from Kiely in injury time looked like preserving Albion's clean-sheet as he flung himself to his left to tip substitute Louis Moult's header from Carl Dickinson's left-wing cross onto the post and out.

The danger was cleared but from the resultant corner the ball was played out to Griffin, who rocketed a shot through a crowd of players and past the helpless Kiely to give the Potters a consolation goal.

ALBION (4-4-1-1): Kiely; Hodgkiss, Martis (Samuels 82), Olsson (Clarke HT), Cech; Menseguez, Dorrans, Kim, Knight (Lake-Gaskin 70); Teixeira; Wood. Subs not used: Allsop (gk), Samuels, Saied.

STOKE (4-4-1-1): Simonsen; Kelly, Cort, Sonko, Griffin; Urwin (Vauls 65), Olofinjana, Wedderburn, Dickinson; Tonge; Camara. Subs not used: Parton (gk), Moult, McDonald.

BOOKINGS: STOKE - Sonko (foul 60).

GOALS: ALBION - Wood (42) Knight (55); STOKE - Griffin (90+1).

REFEREE: W Barratt.

ATTENDANCE: 321.

ALBION STARMAN: Juan Carlos Menseguez.

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