Mowbray passes up change

West Bromwich 1 Bolton Wanderers 1

West Bromwich Albion may be on the way down but they are sinking with style. Despite dropping two more points against the Premier League's ultimate pragmatists, there is no way Tony Mowbray (right) will sacrifice his commitment to a passing game.

"If we start lumping it, start sticking it in the box, the players will stop believing in the way that's right and you'll have to start all over again," the Albion manager said after Saturday's match at The Hawthorns. "We won the league for the first time in 88 years last season playing that way. We've come into this league playing that way and, generally, I think we give a good account of ourselves every week.

"In certain departments we've found the league a little bit too much, but that's not about philosophies or styles of play. It's about individuals not really being up to the task at this level. Most of the teams we play against have a centre-forward who's cost £10m or more."

Last week Mowbray instructed his squad players to play like Bolton in a practice match against his first-choice team. "They found it very difficult," he said. "They're indoctrinated into passing it. Bolton don't pass it very much, but they're very good and very effective at what they do. That's fine because it works for them. My players do it differently and believe in their way."

Bolton, however, were more effective at both ends of the pitch. Sébastien Puygrenier and Gary Cahill marshalled a well-organised defence, while Matt Taylor's runs from midfield provided a threat and were rewarded with a smartly taken goal from the edge of the penalty area midway through the second half. For all their silky passing, Albion threatened only when they piled men forward after Danny Shittu's late own goal – a wicked deflection off a Robert Koren shot – brought them back into the match.

"We looked solid and worked our socks off," said Gary Megson, Bolton's manager. "They didn't have a shot on target, including the goal, which was going seven or eight yards wide. We're disappointed not to have won."

Goals: Taylor (67) 0-1; Shittu (82 og) 1-1.

West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2): Carson; Zuiverloon (Borja Valero, 74), Martis, Olsson, Robinson (Dorrans, 74); Morrison, Greening, Koren, Brunt; Fortune, Simpson (Bednar, 57). Substitutes not used: Kiely (gk), Cech, Moore, Filipe Teixeira.

Bolton Wanderers (4-5-1): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Puygrenier (Shittu, 59), Samuel; K Davies, McCann, Muamba, Gardner, Taylor; Elmander (Smolarek, 90). Substitutes not used: Al Habsi (gk), Hunt, Riga, Makukula, Cohen.

Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire).

Booked: West Bromwich Greening, Bednar; Bolton Steinsson.

Man of the match: Puygrenier

Attendance: 25,530.