Aberdeen rounded off their preparations for the Europa League with Sam Cosgrove netting in a 1-1 draw with English Championship side West Brom.
Cosgrove rose well to nod in Gary Mackay-Steven’s cross to give the Dons a brief lead eight minutes before the break, only for Jake Livermore to equalise promptly for the visitors.
This was the last outing for Derek McInnes’ side prior to their Europa League tie with Burnley, with the first leg of the second qualifying round taking place at Pittodrie on Thursday.
Mikey Devlin recovered from a groin injury to start and new signing Dominic Ball featured in midfield. Trialist Krystian Nowak was again on the bench.
The Baggies, managed by McInnes’ former West Brom team-mate Darren Moore, fielded a strong side, with Kieran Gibbs, Livermore, Chris Brunt, Jay Rodriguez and Matt Phillips all starting.
This was the last action the Dons have before the first leg of their Europa League second qualifying round tie against Burnley on Thursday. Given West Brom were a Premier League side until May, it is the closest McInnes could get to facing a team like the Clarets.
Cosgrove had the first chance inside the opening minute for the home side, out-muscling Jack Fitzwater to drive towards goal only for Kyle Bartley to block his shot.
Kyle Edwards was denied a shot on target by a sliding Graeme Shinnie, after Baggies captain Brunt rolled him through.
The first half was a largely pedestrian affair but the Pittodrie crowd almost had something special to celebrate on 25 minutes, when Lewis Ferguson spotted Jonathan Bond off his line from just inside the Aberdeen half. He attempted to lift the ball over the back-tracking goalkeeper but landed it on the roof of the net.
West Brom had controlled large periods of the first half but went behind on 37 minutes courtesy of Cosgrove, who rose well to steer Mackay-Steven’s cross beyond Bond.
Their advantage lasted just four minutes though, as Moore’s side found the net through Livermore. Rodriguez got the better of Scott McKenna but was blocked off by Devlin, with the ball breaking for Edwards. He was denied by a sprawling Joe Lewis but it left Livermore with an open goal to roll in.
The Dons threatened mainly through set-pieces in the second half, with McKenna, Ferguson and Devlin all having headed chances over, as West Brom rang the changes in replacing the majority of their team.
Shinnie threatened to produce a dramatic end to the evening when he met Logan’s right-wing cross but substitute goalkeeper Alex Palmer parried away.
There will be some concern over Scott Wright, who limped out of the game with 10 minutes to go, but it was otherwise a productive evening ahead of Thursday’s first leg.