West Brom took their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals after romping to a 5-0 win away to Coventry.
Baggies bounce into last eight
West Brom took their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals after romping to a 5-0 win away to Coventry.
The Baggies outclassed their managerless Midlands rivals, although the controversial dismissal of Coventry skipper Michael Doyle just three minutes after the restart helped make the winning margin even more emphatic.
West Brom were leading through a 12th-minute header by Chris Brunt before the Sky Blues capitulated in the second half, conceding four goals in 19 minutes.
Roman Bednar pounced on Andy Marshall's error to make it 2-0 in the 59th minute before adding a second from the penalty spot, while substitute Ishmael Miller and Zoltan Gera compounded Coventry's misery.
Early pressure
West Brom flew out of the blocks and created three good chances before Brunt opened the scoring.
Brunt's left-wing cross was headed wide by Gera in the sixth minute, Bednar dragged a shot wide from 12 yards out and Isaac Osbourne had to head Gera's cross out for a corner as Brunt closed in behind him.
Albion's early pressure was rewarded when Brunt headed home from Bednar's cross, but Coventry almost replied immediately.
Michael Mifsud did brilliantly to chase down a hopeful punt forward by Robbie Simpson, getting in between two Baggies defenders to draw a foul.
Michael Hughes' free-kick hit the defensive wall and ricocheted around the penalty area before Elliott Ward got the ball under control and teed up Doyle 25 yards out, but his low shot whistled narrowly wide.
Coventry came close to equalising again just after the half-hour mark when a lofted ball into the box by Hall was headed powerfully over the crossbar by Leon Best.
However, the hosts were fortunate not to find themselves two goals behind soon after when Brunt's driven free-kick deflected off Hughes and on to the crossbar.
Early in the second half, Doyle's sending off baffled most of the 28,163 inside the Ricoh Arena but replays showed that the City captain did have a vicious swing at Gera with his foot as the Hungarian threatened to leave him in his wake on the right wing.
Demise
Coventry continued to contribute to their own demise and a howler by Marshall just before the hour-mark presented Bednar with possibly the simplest goal he will score this season.
The Sky Blues goalkeeper kicked a back-pass straight to Bednar inside the area and the Czech coolly ran around him to roll the ball into an empty net.
Bednar grabbed his second goal of the game and his 13th of the campaign from the penalty spot.
It was his piece of skill that created the opportunity, forcing Arjan de Zeeuw to handle after he flicked the ball up inside the box.
Bednar dispatched the spot-kick with aplomb down the centre of the goal.
Miller raced clear in the 76th minute to finish left-footed when one on one with Marshall, before the goal of the game from Gera.
Miller cut the ball back to the edge of the 18-yard box where Gera shaped to shoot.
The Hungarian dummied his way past Ward before jinking his way towards goal where he rounded Marshall and rolled the ball home.