Roberto Di Matteo got his first Coca-Cola Championship win, 1-0, as West Brom manager courtesy of an own goal from unfortunate Nottingham Forest defender Chris Cohen and a missed penalty by home substitute Robert Earnshaw at the City Ground.

The Italian, who left MK Dons to replace Tony Mowbray at the Black Country club this summer, watched his side worked hard by Billy Davies' men who will rightly feel aggrieved not to have taken anything from a game they dominated for long periods.

West Brom's 52nd-minute winner was cruel on Forest. Jonathan Greening's cross from the left side looked like it would be turned home by Luke Moore but the Albion striker completely mis-timed his header and the ball went beyond him, striking the hapless Cohen on the leg and rolling beyond stranded keeper Lee Camp.

Forest were presented with the chance to restore parity with 15 minutes remaining.

A surging run towards goal by Earnshaw, a 66th-minute replacement for Paul Anderson, was abruptly halted inside the area by Shelton Martis.

The Wales international took the spot-kick himself but, after a stuttering run-up, dragged it past the left-hand post as Scott Carson dived the opposite way.

Despite Forest's domination, it was West Brom who started the game brightest and they almost went ahead in the fourth minute.

Defender Wes Morgan handled while contesting an aerial ball with Moore on the left-hand side of the area. Chris Brunt's resulting free-kick looked like it was going to curl into the far top corner until Camp, diving at full stretch, tipped it on to the outside of the post.

Carson was worked for the first time 10 minutes later. A flowing Forest attack brought them a corner. Anderson's inswinger was met by Dele Adebola 10 yards out but his header was plucked from beneath the crossbar by the England keeper.

Midway through the first half Radoslaw Majewski choose to shoot straight at Carson after Adebola's flick had given him time and space 25 yards out, but the on-loan Poland international had options either side of him.

A menacing run by Nathan Tyson down the left side almost brought an opening goal after half an hour.

His low cross from the byline looked like being turned in by Anderson but Youssouf Mulumbu blocked inside the six-yard box. The rebound fell to Adebola 10 yards out but the big striker slipped as he struck his shot and the ball bobbled agonisingly wide.

Majewski fired another shot into the side-netting when he again found space this time inside the Albion area as Carson's goal continued to lead a charmed life.

Forest did have the ball in the net at the start of the second half through Adebola but it was ruled out for an earlier infringement.

Anderson then thumped a volley against Carson's chest before the keeper gathered it at the second attempt.

Graham Dorrans had a chance to double West Brom's lead on the hour but he volleyed Greening's pin-point cross over the crossbar.

Forest continued to probe and Adebola put a glorious chance over after Carson had spilled the ball.

Carson then produced a superb save to pluck a header from substitute Dexter Blackstock out of the top corner after 74 minutes.

Sixty seconds later Earnshaw was upended, but Forest wasted their final chance to salvage anything from the game as Albion escaped with all three points.

Teams:

Nottm Forest: Camp, Gunter, Morgan, Lynch, Cohen, Anderson (Earnshaw 66), Majewski (McGugan 55), McKenna, Garner, Adebola (Blackstock 73), Tyson.

Subs Not Used: Smith, McGoldrick, Davies, Mitchell.

West Brom: Carson, Zuiverloon (Barnett 71), Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Greening, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Koren (Beattie 46), Brunt (Cech 73), Moore.

Subs Not Used: Kiely, Cox, Wood, Reid.

Booked: Zuiverloon, Martis, Carson, Cech.

Goals: Cohen 53 og.

Att: 22,794

Ref: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).