WEST Bromwich Albion, who visit the Reebok on Saturday, are hoping to start turning encouraging performances into points.

It is more than 18 months since the Baggies and Bolton last met - in the semi-final of the First Division play-offs when Wanderers progressed despite initially going 2-0 down in the first leg.

Now they are both learning the hard facts of life in the Premiership, and like Bolton, the Baggies have found out the importance of putting away chances against the big sides.

Gary Megson's team have already faced Manchester United, Leeds, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea, but got nothing out of those games despite playing well.

Having just played Manchester City, and taking on Wanderers and Aston Villa in their next two matches, defender Neil Clement says this is the time to be earning the results that will keep them in the top flight.

"We have gone into every game thinking we might get something out of it," says Clement. "We have played some big teams - sides we weren't expected to get any reward against.

"Now we have games coming up against the sides in and around us and we have to make sure we get the result we want.

"If we can keep performing as we did against teams such as Chelsea things will come good. But one thing is certain, we need to start winning again."

Club skipper Derek McInnes believes that it is a case of not getting the rub of the green - for example, they twice hit the woodwork in their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea last week.

But he knows that against Bolton they will have to make their own luck.

"We have had a run of crucial decisions go against us which have certainly cost us points. But I am getting fed up of picking up the papers and reading about unlucky West Brom. I find it all a bit patronising.

"We don't want to be one of those teams that gets known as unlucky because they are always the ones that end up getting relegated. We're not in this division to get relegated so we have to do what we can to put it right.''

More than £10 million was spent in the summer on stars Jason Koumas, Lee Hughes, Ronnie Wallwork and Sean Gregan and Megson is not ruling out further spending.

The boss says: "We've got to temper the fact that we want to strengthen the squad with the knowledge that if it doesn't come off we don't want to end up with the problems that other people have got."

"What we spend in January when the transfer window reopens is a huge decision because you've seen at some other clubs what getting that decision wrong means. It can have repercussions.

"We will try and do the things we've been doing for the last couple of years - which is bringing in the kind of players we want at prices and wages we can afford. That won't change.''

Recent injury worries Gregan and Adam Chambers could feature on Saturday, while former Wanderers Bob Taylor and Russel Hoult may also make a return to Bolton.