Exeter City vs West Bromwich Albion. The FA Cup Third Round.
St James ParkAttendance5,638.
Saturday 6 January 2018 15:22, UK
West Brom have a golden opportunity to end their club-record run of 21 games without a win against Exeter in the FA Cup third round.
Alan Pardew has yet to turn their fortunes around as the Baggies have scored just four goals in his eight games in charge.
The Baggies have not lost an FA Cup tie as a top-flight side against a club from the fourth tier or lower since 1935, when non-League Bradford Park Avenue knocked them out.
It's been 37 years since League Two side Exeter reached the fourth round and their domestic form this season has been very mixed, winning just four of their last 13 league games.
Exeter will make late calls on Jayden Stockley and Jordan Moore-Taylor for West Brom's FA Cup visit.
Top scorer Stockley broke his nose during the 2-1 Sky Bet League Two defeat at Newport on New Year's Day.
Skipper Moore-Taylor missed that game with a muscle injury and Grecians boss Paul Tisdale is already short of defensive cover.
Troy Archibald-Henville is nursing a knee problem, while fellow central defenders Troy Brown and Luke Croll have been absent for several weeks.
Matt Phillips and Craig Dawson are out for West Brom.
Winger Phillips (hamstring) and defender Dawson (fatigue) will not travel for the third-round game at St James Park.
Nacer Chadli (hip) and James Morrison (Achilles) are also sidelined but Sam Field, Oliver Burke, Allan Nyom and Boaz Myhill could all feature. Jonathan Leko may also travel after returning from his loan spell at Bristol City along with Kane Wilson, who has spent the last five months on loan at Exeter.
These sides haven't faced one another since January 1993 in a league fixture - West Brom won 3-2 at St. James' Park under Ossie Ardiles.
The Baggies haven't lost an FA Cup tie against a side from the fourth tier or below as a top-flight side since 1935/36, when non-league Bradford Park Avenue knocked them out in a second replay in the fourth round.
Exeter have progressed from one of their last 17 FA Cup ties against top-flight opponents, winning 3- 1 in a replay against Leicester City in January 1981.
This is Alan Pardew's first FA Cup match since the 2016 final between Crystal Palace and Manchester United - Pardew has been eliminated from four of his last five FA Cup ties against fourth tier opposition, most recently in January 2011 against Stevenage as Newcastle boss.
