Baggies advance to R4
ALBION staged a stunning late comeback to see off Hull 3-2 and book their place in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.
The Baggies were heading for their fourth successive third-round exit until Gareth McAuley volleyed home in the 88th minute and then Saido Berahino sent The Hawthorns into raptures 60 seconds later.
Club-record signing Brown Ideye had put Albion ahead from close range after 15 minutes with his first goal for the club, although he injured his left foot in the process and was soon forced off.
The visitors hit back twice either side of half-time through Tom Ince and then Robbie Brady.
Yet it was Albion who deservedly reached the fourth round of the League Cup for the first time since making the quarter-finals in 2010/11 and now face a trip to Bournemouth in the next round.
Both sides made 11 changes from their Barclays Premier League exploits at the weekend.
Cristian Gamboa and Sebastian Blanco were handed their full Albion debuts, with Academy graduate Liam O’Neil also starting against the Tigers, while Silvestre Varela and Adil Nabi were among those on the bench.
Youssouf Mulumbu was first to go close, his 13th-minute effort taking a deflection and wrong-footing Steve Harper only to find the side-netting.
However, Albion only had to wait a further two minutes for an opener.
A well-worked move down the right saw O’Neil cross to the back post, Blanco’s header was saved by Harper but Ideye was on hand to convert the rebound from close range.
Yet the Baggies striker paid the price for his commitment in poking home as he picked up a foot injury in the process, with Georgios Samaras soon replacing him off the bench.
The Greece international chipped an effort narrowly wide shortly after the half-hour mark before O’Neil saw a header fly off target.
But it was Hull who equalised just before the break when Ince was left with plenty of time and space at the back post to convert Brady’s low left-wing cross.
And it was Brady who put the Tigers ahead five minutes after the break, latching on to Hatem Ben Arfa’s throughball to ignore calls for offside and slot coolly past Boaz Myhill.
Blanco came close to an immediate equaliser with a free-kick which flew inches wide, before David Meyler did the same at the other end with a well-taken half-volley.
Irvine turned to Berahino on the hour mark and then debutant Varela 16 minutes later.
Albion came close to a leveller in the 83rd minute as Claudio Yacob's placed effort was parried by Harper and both Berahino and O'Neil were denied following up.
Blanco was next to go close as the hosts turned the screw - and they got their rewards with two dramatic late goals to seal their progress.
Albion: Myhill, Davidson, Olsson, McAuley, Gamboa, Yacob, O’Neil, Mulumbu (Varela 76’), Blanco, Ideye (Samaras 21’), Anichebe (Berahino 60’).
Subs: Foster, Wisdom, Dawson, A Nabi.
GOALS: Ideye (15’), McAuley (88'), Berahino (89').
BOOKED: Gamboa (72’ foul)
Hull: Harper, Rosenior, Figueroa, Bruce (Livermore 65’), Chester, Meyler (Maguire 86'), Brady (Aluko 89'), McShane, Sagbo, Ince, Ben Arfa.
Subs: Jakupovic, Huddlestone, Hernandez, Jelavic.
GOALS: Ince (41’), Brady (50’)
BOOKED: Bruce (64’ foul)
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Attendance: 10,496