It was only 18 minutes at the end of a friendly played in torrential rain in front of a small crowd.

But for Jim McNulty, Saturday’s pre-season trip to Glanford Park would have felt like one of the biggest moments of his career.

Nearly six months after he lost his right kidney after he was accidentally kicked by a Crewe player, the 23-year-old left-back relished his ahead-of-schedule return to competitive action in the morale-boosting 2-0 win over Championship new boys Scunthorpe.

Albion’s medical staff did not expect McNulty to be playing again until October – and neither did the player.

He is still behind his team-mates in terms of fitness and it would be a huge surprise if McNulty got the nod ahead of Jake Wright for Saturday’s League One opener against Walsall. But for now a run-out in the North Lincolnshire monsoon was great to be getting on with.

He said: “It’s brilliant to be back ahead of schedule and I really enjoyed those minutes on the pitch. I was a bit nervous but I always am whether it’s a first team game or a friendly.

“I didn’t expect to be running at this stage of pre-season and I didn’t expect to be playing until early October so I’m delighted to have got minutes in a game and I just want to push on from here.

“My fitness is a little bit behind the other lads but the more minutes I can get the better I will be. Hopefully I can play a part next week against Walsall.”

There was no sign of any lasting psychological damage either as McNulty tore into challenges and relished the physical aspect of what was, by pre-season standards, a competitive and entertaining game.

He added: “I have been deliberately trying to collide with players in training and go into challenges and we have set up a couple of situations for my benefit where there has been bodily contact and it has been fine.

“When I started running again I thought there would be a reaction. I have rested and trained properly and every time I have stepped up each week there has been no reaction.

“Now I want to push on and try and be a competitive member of the squad.”

If McNulty was the happiest man at Glanford Park on Saturday then his manager had plenty to smile about as well.

In the absence of Nicky Forster and the suspended Craig Davies but with a plethora of midfield options, Russell Slade switched to a 4-5-1 formation which became 4-3-3 when Albion broke and Dean Cox and Mark Wright were pushed up in support of Liam Dickinson.

Whether it’s a tactic Slade will employ at home on Saturday could depend to an extent on the personnel available to him but it was a resounding success. The home side started off at a ferocious pace but were stunned on 12 minutes when Jake Wright, 24 hours after completing his move from Crawley, crossed from the left and although Dickinson was denied by Joe Murphy, Mark Wright was on hand to snap up the rebound.

Cox should have added to Albion’s lead on two occasions before the break. Both sides passed the ball well and Slade would have been delighted with his side’s defensive resolve.

If he had any doubts about the make-up of his back four against Walsall they will have been resolved. Jake Wright looked as if he had played 100 games at left-back, such was his composure and willingness to make the lung-bursting surges in support of the attack.

And goalkeeper Michel Kuipers produced a faultless handling display in tricky conditions, the highlight a double save in the second half to deny Cliff Byrne and Ben May.

By then Albion had sliced open Scunthorpe to double their lead when Alan Navarro’s pass picked out Cox whose low left-wing cross was swept home at the far post by Murray.

Slade made six outfield changes in the second half with no detrimental effect to the tempo and after some indifferent pre-season results the manager was delighted.

He said: “I have kept saying in pre-season that it is not the result that matters and even on Saturday that was the case but we are getting better. We were still a bit patchy at times but there was some good football played, good movement which pleased me and we created quite a few chances.

“We had three front men missing but I thought Dickinson and Murray both did well in the role up front. We had energy down the sides in Wright and Cox and broke on them well.

“And it was fantastic to have McNulty back. He’s a great kid who wants to do well and it’s terrific to see him have 20 minutes before we kick a ball in anger.

“We still have a lot of work to do before next Saturday. But I promise our supporters that we will have the most honest, hardworking team in the league and that will take us a long way.”

Scunthorpe: Murphy; A.Wright (J.Wright 65), Byrne, Sparrow, McCann, Hayes, Jones, Woolford, May (Forte 59), O’Connor, Morris.

Albion: Kuipers, Whing (El-Abd 63), J.Wright (McNulty 72), Elphick, Virgo (Tunnicliffe 48); M.Wright, Navarro, Dicker (J. Smith 45), Crofts, Cox (McLeod 63); Dickinson (Murray 45). Unused sub: G.Smith.

Referee: Jon Moss.

Attendance: 1,273 (63 Albion)