'Pleasing day' for Mason as Baggies start with win

Ryan Mason had to retire as a player when he was only 26

Ryan Mason could reflect on a 'pleasing day' to start the Championship season as West Bromwich Albion head coach.

In his first competitive game as a permanent boss, Mason watched the Baggies edge past Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns.

Mason has had two interims spells in charge of Tottenham but now he is tasked with pushing for promotion with Albion.

"The most important thing was to start the season at home with a win and we've done that in a good manner with a clean sheet, so it's a pleasing day," he told BBC WM.

"It's nowhere near the end product, we're literally six weeks into something but the thing we can guarantee is a togetherness, a willingness to fight for each other and we saw that and, more importantly, we felt that.

"We were good value for the win in my opinion and probably could and should have scored another to make it a little bit easier."