The Trotters made a number of changes for the game with Les Ferdinand, Tal Ben-Haim and Jay-Jay Okocha all coming into the starting line up to replace Kevin Davies, Nicky Hunt and El-Hadji Diouf but for Okocha his first team return proved short lived as he remained on the pitch for just half an hour before being replaced by Diouf due to a reoccurance of a recent groin problem.
In all fairness the home side deserved their win as Bolton seemed at times disjointed from the side which had performed so well against champions Arsenal just a few weeks ago. Albion used their wings to good effect with the Hungarian midfielder Zoltan Gera often causing Wanderers a problem or two.
The game itself started off very much in the hands of the home team with both Zoltan Gera and Kanu having half chances which kept the Bolton defence alert. Perhaps the real wake up call came on 11 minutes when big defender Darren Moore rose well above his marker to power in a header towards Jussi Jaaskelainen's left post, luckily for the Trotters they had Welsh midfielder Gary Speed to thank for hacking the ball away from danger.
Gera seemed a thorn in Bolton's side with his energetic running and neat play with the ball and this seemed to be a danger for the away side when Albion where carrying the ball forward. Both he and the ex-Manchester United man Jonathan Greening seemed to be revelling in the chance to face wing backs Gardner and Ben-Haim, making his first full league appearance.
On 22 minutes Greening was unlucky not to have opened the scoring when he connected well on the volley after a long throw in by Albion full back Bernt Haas whilst a few minutes later a mazy run by Gardner past two defenders brought Bolton their first clear cut opportunity but neither he nor fellow team mate Kevin Nolan could find a way past Albion keeper Russell Hoult.
Bolton did manage to test the Baggies stopper twice more in the half but both Ivan Campo and Jay-Jay Okocha were limited to long range efforts. In the case of Nigerian Okocha it was to be the last action of the afternoon as he soon made way due to injury.
The second half seemed no better as far as the Wanderers were concerned with the home side having the lions share of possession and managing to get a number of attempts on goal.
On 57 minutes Albion's patient build up play was rewarded when a dangerous curling ball from the left into the box by Gera was converted by lanky striker Kanu for his second goal of the season.
Eight minutes later the Midlands side doubled their advantage with Gera himself getting in on the act. A corner by Jonathan Greening was headed home at the near post by the midfielder in what was reward for a fine performance.
Bolton had brought on both Stelios Giannakopoulos and Blessing Kaku in the meantime in a bid to freshen things up and indeed it was the afforementioned Greek star Giannakopoulos who was to net the Trotters what proved to be just a consolation.
Gardner had been fouled down the left hand side and referee Mark Clattenberg did right to award the free kick Bolton's way. Up stepped Stelios for his first of the season with a curling cross cum shot into the area which eluded everyone including the ex-Bolton keeper Hoult for one of the most bizarre goals of the weekend.
Bolton then piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser but neither last week's goalscoring hero Radhi Jaidi, Les Ferdinand or Ricardo Gardner could get enough on their attempts and this proved to be a bad day at the office for the Whites who now crash to their second defeat of the season.