Birmingham City 1 West Brom 2: Anichebe seals derby triumph

Victor Anichebe’s double was enough to send West Brom through to the FA Cup fifth round as they overcame Birmingham City 2-1 at St Andrew’s.

Tony Pulis continued his unbeaten start to life at The Hawthorns with a hard-fought victory over local rivals Birmingham City in an attritional Midlands derby. 

Victor Anichebe’s first-half double gave the Premier League outfit a two-goal lead in what was a scrappy opening period.

The powerful forward twice linked up superbly with strike partner Saido Berahino as Birmingham’s defence was found wanting.

But Gary Rowett’s side rallied before the interval and pulled one back through Jonathan Grounds on the stroke of half-time – the first goal that West Brom have conceded under Pulis.

Birmingham went into the game on the back of a four-match unbeaten run, but they were unable to grab an equaliser in a stop-start second half as West Brom held on to secure passage through to the last 16.

Pulis made just one alteration to the West Brom side that that earned a point against Everton last time out, while Birmingham top scorer Clayton Donaldson was named on the bench alongside talented youngster Damarai Gray.

And though the hosts made a positive start to proceedings, it was the visitors who almost took the lead 10 minutes in when Berahino’s rasping drive whistled just wide of the upright.

Birmingham grew into the game as the half wore on and Andrew Shinnie was a matter of inches away from nodding them ahead, but he could not quite latch on to David Cotterill’s floated cross.

And they were made to pay in the 25th minute when Berahino threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to Anichebe, who held off Birmingham skipper Paul Robinson before slotting home at the near post with a neat first-time finish.

But Anichebe, who reached the FA Cup final with Everton back in 2009, was not finished there, and doubled his tally 10 minutes later when he received the ball on the edge of the box before again rolling Robinson and sending a scuffed finish into the bottom-right corner.

West Brom seemed to be coasting towards half-time with their two-goal advantage intact, but Pulis will be disappointed with how easily Grounds found the space to be able to side-foot home from debutant loanee Lloyd Dyer’s cross – his maiden Birmingham goal.

Both sides struggled to gain any real momentum after the restart, and it was not until the 58th minute that Birmingham managed to make any headway into the West Brom half when Dyer broke free down the left, but Boaz Myhill rushed out to intercept.

That bravery resulted in a nasty knock to the head for West Brom’s goalkeeper and the visitors took no risks, sending on Ben Foster in place of the stricken Welshman.

Pulis had further cause for concern soon after when former West Brom man Robinson clattered into Stephane Sessengon, who limped off to be replaced by Chris Baird.

Shinnie had another terrific chance fall his way in the 73rd minute as the hosts pressed hard for a leveller, but he could only direct his header over the bar after he had leapt well to meet Ground’s whipped cross.

Rowett then brought on Gray in place of Dyer, and the youngster worked a great chance almost immediately, ducking inside onto his right foot before curling a vicious strike goalwards, but Foster was equal to it and held firm.

West Brom broke forward as the game entered the final 10 minutes, and Chris Brunt almost doubled their advantage with a cute effort from a tight angle, but the ball clipped off of the outside of post.

Foster was forced into tipping over a powerful Nicola Zigic drive late-on and, though Birmingham battled furiously to create an opening during six minutes of added time, they were unable to snatch an evasive equaliser.