Bristol City 3 – 0 West Bromwich Albion. Bristol City’s young forwards Sam Bell and Alex Scott inspired their side to an excellent win over fellow Championship side West Brom.
Bell, 20, seized on a loose ball when the visitors failed to clear a corner to open the scoring after 12 minutes.
Teenager Scott finished Mark Sykes’ inviting cross to make it two after 28 minutes and Bell grabbed his second after 48 minutes with a dinked finish.
Bell had a chance to claim his hat trick but was denied by David Button.
West Brom has been in fine league form since manager Carlos Corberan arrived but it was the hosts who started brightly, with plenty of energy and movement in their attacking play.
Bell was first to react when West Brom failed to clear a corner and, as defenders hesitated all around him, he pounced on the loose ball to curl it around Button.
There was more dubious defending from the Baggies five minutes later when Semi Ajayi and Button got into a mix-up which allowed Nahki Wells to nip in and get an effort on goal, but the visiting goalkeeper got enough on it to keep the ball out.
It was almost a defensive error at the other end which got West Brom back level shortly afterwards as Jed Wallace dispossessed Rob Atkinson on the edge of the Robins box and his deflected effort looped up dangerously over Max O’Leary, but the goalkeeper reacted well to keep his side ahead.
The Robins made it two shortly before the half-hour mark when Wells fed Sykes, who sent the ball across the six-yard box where Scott was waiting to score his first goal of the season.
West Brom then threatened again in an entertaining first half when Daryl Dike found space for a shot across O’Leary, but the Bristol City goalkeeper was equal to it.
The hosts stretched their lead three minutes after the restart when George Tanner crossed for Bell, who took the ball down before lifting it over the diving Button with an exquisite finish for his second of the afternoon.
Nigel Pearson’s side was full of confidence and continued to search for more goals, with Bell and Scott combining again after 71 minutes, but Button rushed out of goal to deny the former a memorable treble.
West Brom went close on a number of occasions as they looked to get on the scoresheet but O’Leary denied substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante and Okay Yokuslu with excellent reflex saves to ensure the Robins made it into the fifth round.
source – BBC
