Albion's usual three loanees started for their respective teams over the weekend.
As the first round of the Emirates FA Cup got underway up and down the country, midfielder Harry Whitwell was involved in the opening game of this term's competition - and it was a thriller to say the least.
The midfielder impressed in the heart of the field, playing the entirety of proceedings, but the 19-year-old couldn't prevent the Gloucestershire side bowing out of the tournament following a 4-3 defeat to Jack Wilshere's Luton Town.
Kenilworth Road was bouncing after the hosts built up a 3-0 lead. Lamine Fanne broke the deadlock prior to Nahki Wells grabbing a couple either side of the interval. It looked like the Sky Bet League One side were in a comfortable position against their National League opponents, but things changed very quickly under the Friday night lights.
Whitwell and boss Robbie Savage's men showed character to level proceedings within 18 second-half minutes; Tom Knowles, Kyle McAllister and Aidan Dausch finding the net for Rovers to put the game back in the balance heading into the closing stages.
Sadly, though, their hard work would be undone when Gideon Kodua struck in the second minute of stoppage time to put the Hatters back in the lead and, this time, indefinitely as they held on to their advantage to progress to the second round.
While it was defeat for Whitwell over the weekend, fellow academy graduate Akeel Higgins continued his run in the tournament with Exeter City thanks to a 2-0 win away at non-league Halifax Town.
The attacker played 74 minutes before being replaced by manager Gary Caldwell, with the attacker a part of the action which saw the Grecians seal victory within the opening half of the match.
Danny Andrew and Jayden Wareham netted the decisive goals to put the Sky Bet League One side in the hat for the second round.
Finally, defender Michael Parker got another 90 minutes in for Hereford who drew 3-3 at home to Curzon Ashton in the Enterprise National League North.
Parker's team were 3-0 down at the break following strikes from Alex Curran, Tony Weston and Ben Darby, but a second-half hat-trick from Omari Sterling-James rescued a dramatic point for the Bulls in front of their own supporters.
The result leaves Hereford 17th in the standings, three points clear of the danger zone after 14 fixtures played.
