West Brom are through to the fifth
round of the FA Cup,
after beating Peterborough United
4-3 on penalties.
Ben Foster saved
from Martin Samuelsen and Lee Angol in the shoot-out as the Baggies won 4-3
following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
It sent them into a tie at Reading - but
Tony Pulis' side were fortunate to progress at London Road.
Jon Taylor had given the hosts the lead only for Darren
Fletcher to level - but the Sky Bet League One
side dominated for long spells.
Taylor and the impressive Samuelsen, despite his penalty
miss, often ran the Premier League side ragged but they
won despite being second best.
Foster saved from Chris Forrester and Samuelsen while Saido
Berahino was anonymous for the visitors in the first half.
Albion had won just three games in their last 15 outings
prior to this tie and their declining form showed no signs of ending during a
poor opening period.
Berahino finally registered a shot nine minutes before the
break, his effort flashing wide - but it was the closest the Baggies got to
threatening Ben Alnwick's goal.
The hosts had 57 per cent of the possession in the first
half and little changed following the restart.
Posh continued to press and Shaquile Coulthirst curled just
wide but the hosts did not have to wait long before deservedly opening the
scoring on 55 minutes.
Albion had been sloppy all night and McClean's wretched pass
was intercepted by Angol, who found Taylor on the left.
The winger then outfoxed the backpedalling Chester and his
15-yard effort clipped the defender to creep low past Foster.
Taylor's dramatic late equaliser in the 2-2 draw at The
Hawthorns took the tie to a replay and he - along with the outstanding
Samuelsen - epitomised Posh's confident attitude.
Albion looked a spent force and while Craig Gardner's token
volley drifted wide Berahino and Salomon Rondon were nowhere to be seen.
However, the Baggies levelled against the run of play on 71
minutes when Fletcher crashed in a half-volley from 18 yards after Peterborough
only half-cleared McClean's cross.
It was the skipper's first FA Cup goal in eight years but
failed to spark an Albion revival and the hosts continued to press, with
Coulthirst shooting wide 10 minutes later.
Berahino could have won the game but Michael Bostwick
blocked his drive after Alnwick was beaten to the ball by Rondon and the
goalkeeper then saved from Rondon at the end to send the tie to extra time.
Marcus Maddison lobbed over with seven minutes remaining but
Gabriel Zakuani saved Posh when he headed Gardner's fierce volley off the line
90 seconds later.
And Berahino missed a glorious chance with almost the last
kick of extra time when, unmarked, he headed Gardner's free-kick wide from
three yards.
But Foster was Albion's hero when he saved from Samuelsen
and Angol in the shoot-out to send the visitors through, despite Fletcher
missing from the spot.
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