The FA Cup
ExeterExeter City0West BromWest Bromwich Albion2

Exeter City 0-2 West Bromwich Albion

By Brent PilnickBBC Sport

Alan Pardew finally got his first win as West Brom boss as his side eased past League Two Exeter City in the FA Cup third round.

Saloman Rondon fired the Baggies ahead after less than 75 seconds before Jay Rodriguez doubled the lead, pouncing on a defensive error.

Hal Robson-Kanu had a third disallowed and missed a penalty.

And Ahmed Hegazi also had a goal chalked off in the second half as the Baggies moved into round four.

Baggies blow away luckless City

Making just four changes from the side that lost at West Ham in their last Premier League game, Pardew was keen to end a 21-game winless run for the top flight's second-bottom side at a League Two club with promotion aspirations of their own.

The first goal - the quickest in any match this season - came after Dan Seaborne failed to properly clear James McLean's cross and Rondon ruthlessly dispatched it past the impressive Christy Pym in the City goal.

After saving from Chris Brunt, Pym could do nothing for the second following another mistake from Seaborne.

Exeter's former England Under-20 keeper then saved brilliantly at close range from James McLean after early substitute Robson-Kanu's ball in, and saved the Welsh international's poor penalty after McClean was fouled by Pierce Sweeney.

City top scorer Jayden Stockley should have pulled a goal back in first half stoppage time, but the former Aberdeen forward unbelievably managed to hit the post from less than two yards out after Ben Foster fumbled a cross.

137 day wait is over - but only 363 Baggies fans see it

With two sides of Exeter's St James Park being redeveloped, the FA gave special dispensation for City to give West Brom just a few hundred tickets of the 5,638 sell-out.

The last time Baggies fans saw their side triumph was on 22 August when they won at Exeter's League Two rivals Accrington Stanley in the Carabao Cup.

And they were cheering five minutes after the restart when Hegazi thought he had scored the third as he reacted quickest to Pym's save from a Rondon header, but the Venezuela striker was flagged offside for his initial effort.

That prompted City's best spell of the game as Seaborne almost got on the end of a Stockley flick-on and substitute Lee Holmes had a near-post shot blocked by Ben Foster.

But the Grecians could not create another clear-cut chance despite having the upper hand for large parts of the second period.

As the Baggies saw out the game Jake Livermore was introduced as a late substitute, having been rested after his altercation with a fan at West Ham, while Jonny Evans was left out of the squad entirely as speculation mounts over a potential move away from the Hawthorns before the end of the January transfer window.

'A professional job' - what the managers said

Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale: "We didn't have a look in for that first 40 minutes and I was disappointed in the way we competed in that 40 minutes, despite all the preparation and intent that we hoped for.

"Even at 2-0 you score one goal and you know one can become two, and the way we played in that second half, all it needed was a goal.

"I think Jayden was a bit surprised at how the ball landed to him, and he somehow contrived to miss it, but I think we did very well second half."

West Brom boss Alan Pardew: "There wasn't any whooping or jumping around, it was just a professional job.

"We were expected to win here and the most important thing was that we did win, it didn't matter what manner.

"We won with a really good display, but even if we had scraped home and Exeter had battered us I wouldn't have cared, as long as we won."

Line-ups

Exeter

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Pym
  • 2SweeneyBooked at 42mins
  • 5Archibald-HenvilleBooked at 53mins
  • 18Seaborne
  • 21Moxey
  • 25Taylor
  • 44BoatengSubstituted forJamesat 63'minutes
  • 6Tillson
  • 7HarleySubstituted forJayat 87'minutes
  • 19McAlindenSubstituted forHolmesat 55'minutes
  • 11Stockley

Substitutes

  • 3Woodman
  • 4James
  • 8Simpson
  • 10Holmes
  • 12Jones
  • 20Jay
  • 24Byrne

West Brom

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Foster
  • 2Nyom
  • 23McAuley
  • 26Hegazi
  • 3GibbsSubstituted forRobson-Kanuat 12'minutes
  • 11Brunt
  • 20KrychowiakSubstituted forLivermoreat 85'minutes
  • 18Barry
  • 14McClean
  • 19RodriguezBooked at 64minsSubstituted forFieldat 69'minutes
  • 9Rondón

Substitutes

  • 4Robson-Kanu
  • 5Yacob
  • 8Livermore
  • 13Myhill
  • 17Burke
  • 28Field
  • 45Leko
Referee:
Lee Mason
Attendance:
5,638

Match Stats

Home TeamExeterAway TeamWest Brom
Possession
Home47%
Away53%
Shots
Home11
Away14
Shots on Target
Home3
Away7
Corners
Home3
Away3
Fouls
Home14
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Exeter City 0, West Bromwich Albion 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Exeter City 0, West Bromwich Albion 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Lee Holmes (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Jay with a headed pass.

  4. Post update

    Gareth McAuley (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Matt Jay (Exeter City).

  6. Post update

    Chris Brunt (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Jayden Stockley (Exeter City).

  8. Post update

    Foul by Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion).

  9. Post update

    Danny Seaborne (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Substitution

    Substitution, Exeter City. Matt Jay replaces Ryan Harley.

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jayden Stockley with a headed pass.

  12. Post update

    Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster tries a through ball, but Salomón Rondón is caught offside.

  13. Post update

    Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Jake Taylor (Exeter City).

  15. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Jake Livermore replaces Grzegorz Krychowiak.

  17. Post update

    Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Sam Field.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion).

  19. Post update

    Lee Holmes (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  20. Post update

    Attempt missed. Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Sam Field.

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