The last time West Brom secured a win at Old Trafford was in 1978 when Ron Atkinson led the team to a 5-3 victory over Manchester United.

On that day Tony “Bomber” Brown netted twice for the Baggies. So it was only fitting that their next victory at the Theatre of Dreams — a 2-1 win thanks to second-half goals from Morgan Amalfitano and Saido Berahino either side of a Wayne Rooney free-kick — should come on the 50th anniversary of Brown’s debut for the Midlands club against Ipswich.

“It’s a fitting tribute,” said a beaming manager Steve Clarke. “I thought we were tremendous from start to finish. We did everything almost perfectly and, when you come to a place like Old Trafford, playing against the reigning champions, you have to play almost the perfect game and I think we did that.”

Amalfitano’s brilliant solo goal opened the scoring early in the second-half. The lead, however, was to be short lived as Rooney’s free-kick three minutes later nestled in the back of Boaz Myhill’s goal after after missing a number of United players inside a packed penalty area.

But Berahino’s first Premier League goal midway through the half condemned the Reds to their second consecutive league defeat following the 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City.

“Poor result, poor performance. We never really got going,” said United manager David Moyes. “We had a lot of the ball in the first half, but never made enough chances from it. And when we did make some from it we didn’t finish them.

“West Brom deserved the victory no question. I can’t argue with that.”

The defeat for United ensured their worst start to a league campaign after six games since 1989-90, leaving Moyes under increasing pressure. He said: “I’m concerned after today, but only because we didn’t play well.

“But there are a lot of games to go and I’ll try and put it right in the games which we have to come.”

Moyes was bleak when quizzed on United’s hopes of succeeding in Europe this season.

“To win the Champions League, you need five or six world-class players,” he said. “Look at Bayern Munich, they have it. Look at Barcelona, who had it in the past and Real Madrid, who have maybe got it now. That’s the level you have to be at to win it. We’ve not got that yet but what we have got is experience.”