Brereton Díaz helps Blackburn maintain perfect start with win over West Brom

Blackburn maintained their perfect start to the Championship season with a display of clinical finishing to edge out West Brom 2-1.

Albion shaded the game and dominated in spells, but Rovers put them to the sword in ruthless fashion with their only shots on target.

A moment of individual brilliance from Ben Brereton Díaz put Blackburn ahead just before the break and he set up Sam Gallagher to double the advantage two minutes after the restart.

Grady Diangana’s deflected effort gave the Baggies a goal their performance merited, but their profligacy ultimately proved their undoing, summed up by Karlan Grant spurning a glorious opportunity to equalise 11 minutes from time.

Rovers are the only Championship side with a 100 per cent record after winning their first three league games for the first time since 1988.

The 17-year-old defender Ashley Phillips was handed his first league start for Rovers in place of the injured Scott Wharton. Albion were unchanged. The Baggies settled quickest, with Darnell Furlong heading over despite being unmarked before John Swift’s free-kick was punched clear by Thomas Kaminski.

Chris Wilder says Chuba Akpom has won him over since returning to the Middlesbrough squad at the end of pre-season after the striker's first goals for the club in more than a year secured a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United. 

Akpom scored in each half as Boro twice came from behind at the Riverside, with his goals cancelling out a first-half strike from Sander Berge and a second-half own goal from Ryan Giles. 

The 26-year-old spent last season on loan at Greek side PAOK and looked to have no future on Teesside when he was excluded from the Middlesbrough squad that began pre-season training in late June. 

However, he was