Grady Diangana grabbed West Brom a deserved 1-1 draw against Stoke as Nathan Lowe threatened to ruin Tony Mowbray’s welcome back to The Hawthorns in the Sky Bet Championship.
Stoke led following Lowe’s eighth-minute opener but Diangana equalised in the 72nd minute in Chris Brunt’s final game as Albion’s interim head coach.
Mowbray, 61, has signed a two-and-a-half year contract to replace Carlos Corberan after his first spell in charge of nearly three years ended in 2009.
Waving and embracing the club’s mascot Baggie Bird, the former Celtic, Sunderland, Blackburn and Birmingham manager was given a warm welcome from home supporters before kick-off.
Brunt, 40 – signed by Mowbray as a player for West Brom – ended his caretaker spell with one win and three draws – all 1-1 – from his six games in charge.
Albion have now drawn 14 of their 27 Championship games this season.
But a point was the least they deserved after creating plenty of chances, while Stoke failed to threaten after scoring.
Tom Fellows’s deflected shot almost gave Albion a fourth-minute lead.
He cut inside and his curling effort clipped Enda Stevens and arrowed inches wide.
Lowe, recalled by Stoke from a prolific loan spell at runaway League Two leaders Walsall, gave the Potters the lead with his 19th goal of the season.
The 19-year-old turned home Junior Tchamadeu’s wayward shot first time from seven yards after Stevens returned the ball back into the danger area. Lewis Koumas had mis-kicked the left-back’s first cross.
Lowe’s only other goal in Stoke colours came 476 days ago.
Torbjorn Heggem had the chance to equalise but his shot, like Karlan Grant’s long-range effort leading to it, was blocked.
Jayson Molumby wasted a golden chance to level in the 33rd minute.
The unmarked Republic of Ireland international sidefooted wide from 12 yards after Fellows crossed and Alex Mowatt rolled the ball into his path.
Albion winger Mikey Johnston curled wide from 30 yards as the former Celtic man tried to catch goalkeeper Viktor Johansson out.
Grant had the first chance after the restart but his shot hit Ashley Phillips and bounced wide after Tchamadeu dallied at a long ball.
Heggem wasted another chance when he glanced wide from Johnston’s cross, before Fellows lashed an angled rising drive over the bar.
Albion finally scored the goal they had been threatening through Diangana.
The former West Ham winger timed his run to perfection to volley home ahead of Ben Wilmot at the near post from Johnston’s cross.
Mowatt volleyed over from Fellows’s delivery and Grant ballooned over from distance as Albion chased a winner.
