A defeat for the second string in their first game post-Brendan Rodgers but there will be disappointment not to have taken something from a performance much improved after the break.

The first-half at The Hawthorns was uneventful to say the least, the home side taking the lead early on, and it was always going to be a tough test for this group of Chelsea players.

The opposition were experienced, seven of them with senior football to their name, while Chelsea's imminent FA Youth Cup match and junior international call-ups took away a few reserve regulars.

However following a tactical reshuffle at half-time, it was a much brighter, sharper Chelsea taking the game to the opponents with some good chances created, one striking the crossbar from Scott Sinclair.

Sinclair had been asked to play in a central striking role in the absence of Morten Nielsen and Fabio Borini but it took until 19 minutes for a sight of goal for the England Under 19 international. That was a free-kick hit firmly but wide of the left post.

By then West Brom were already one goal to the good. Having threatened with long balls forward and runs down the left, the goal came with a move straight through Chelsea's middle, Sherjil McDonald manoeuvring goal-side of Mineiro before drifting wide of the central defence and finishing hard beyond Rhys Taylor.

The Ajax youth product's strike came on seven minutes.

It took good keeping by Taylor to palm away a Worrell cross with danger closing in as West Brom threatened to increase the lead but there was brief hope for Chelsea just past the half-hour when Fabio Ferreira advanced down the middle. His ball did not quite connect with Sergio Tejera.

Just before half-time, Taylor made a save from Worrell's shot on the run.

With Chelsea giving veteran keeper Dean Kiely a near night-off, changes were made at the interval.

Paul Clement, until now the youth team manager but taking charge of the reserves for the time being, took off Ferreira and brought Sam Hutchinson into central defence with Patrick van Aanholt moving to left-back.

That allowed Liam Bridcutt to move forward into his more accustomed midfield and Sinclair pulled wider to where Ferreira had been with Tejera more central.

To Clement's credit, the benefits were seen almost instantly when after tenacious work by Bridcutt and passes by Lee Sawyer and Michael Woods, Tejera ended a fine move by curling a shot just wide.

It took a good Carl Magnay tackle to disposes MacDonald when the West Brom striker threatened to repeat his first-half goal and from it, Chelsea went straight up the other end.

Sinclair found his way through a gap between defenders with sublime footwork but from an angle, his 54th minute shot hit the underside of the bar and came out.

Then within minutes Nana Ofori-Twumasi, now making typically powerful runs from right-back, curled a cross which a stretching Tejera just diverted wide.

There was still work to do at the other end, Taylor saving from Moore and Worrell volleying just over. Before that, Woods was booked for a late challenge when Chelsea were on the attack.

With 15 minutes remaining Van Aanholt shot on-target, the ball deflecting just wide with the keeper committed.

With time running out, Sinclair tried his luck from distance but the shot rose well away from its intended target.

More than an equaliser would have been hard to justify from the performance but into stoppage time, Chelsea came so close to earning a deserved point, Sinclair chipping over to the far post but Woods, under pressure, heading wide.

There was still time for a West Brom attack but as he had done on more than one occasion before, the composed Magnay was in the right place to sort it out.

Chelsea: Rhys Taylor, Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Carl Magnay, Patrick van Aanholt, Liam Bridcutt, Lee Sawyer, Mineiro, Michael Woods, Fabio Ferreira (Sam Hutchinson h-t), Scott Sinclair, Sergio Tejera.

West Brom: Kiely, Hoefkens, Cech, Kim (Elford-Alliyu 66), Barnett, Pele, Worrall, Dorrans, Samuels, Moore (Saied 66), MacDonald.

Highlights of this game can be seen on Chelsea TV's Blues News tomorrow and on Chelsea Plus.

Live coverage of Thursday's FA Youth Cup game away to Manchester United begins at 6.15pm.