Albion’s James Morrison has set his sights on the FA Cup final - so he can banish demons from his past.
The 22-year-old midfield star has already reached four tournament finals from the FA Youth Cup to the UEFA Cup but has won only twice - a record he is desperate to improve.
The former Middlesbrough man, who grabbed the vital opening goal in yesterday’s quarter-final, won the FA Youth Cup final and an under-20s tournament with England but lost another FA Youth Cup final and a UEFA Cup final with Middlesbrough.
He said: “I’ve been in quite a lot of finals even though I’m still at a young age.But I’ve not won as many as I would have liked.
“The first one I won was the FA Youth Cup and I got there twice, winning one and losing one.
“In total the record isn’t very good and I am eager to put that right and I’m sure my team-mates will help me do that.
“I also got beaten with Boro against West Ham in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
“England beat France under-20s in a championship final, and I also got to the UEFA Cup Final with Boro- so I have had a few finals and they are great occasions and great feelings and I want to be part of that again.
“Not many players have played in a Cup Final.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to get to the Final and then who knows? It is just one game.
“But it is not ‘job done’. It’s good getting to Wembley but you get nothing for getting to a semi-final.”
Morrison admitted his disappointment that Boro went out to Cardiff as he was eying the chance to line up against his former club and is now unconcerned what today’s semi-final draw throws up.
He said: “I’ve got a lot of friends at Boro. I was willing them on to win because I am desperate to play them to prove people wrong.
“Now we’re not bothered who we get. We are just going to enjoy the occasion. But at least we can play on a good pitch and enjoy the occasion and enjoy the day out.”
Morrison saluted the performance of the Baggies in avoiding a potential upset at the Memorial Stadium.
And he is now relishing the chance to play at Wembley.
He said: “It was a difficult game to play in. They were working us really hard.
“We were getting vital blocks in, but our class showed and Ishmael Miller got three good goals. In the end it was a solid performance.
“The first goal was the most important- and I got it- but it is a team game and I was there at the right time and it just got us on our way.
“I’m delighted that I got the goal and now I am just looking forward to Wembley. “To be fair to the keeper, he got up quite quickly, and if I didn’t concentrate I would have missed.
Professional
“The easy ones are the ones you miss, but I was on hand and slotted it in easy and I am delighted.
“It is dream come true to play at Wembley. We are going there and it is just an added bonus really.
“But we have said again in the dressing room after the game that our main aim is to get promoted.”
However, he admitted that playing in the Wembley semi-final would have a hollow feel if it was not accompanied by promotion to the Premier League.
“It is alright getting to the semi-final and having all the hype that goes with it but we are a Premier League club and we want to get there,” he said.
“If we don’t win that it will be a disappointing season.None of the lads are getting carried away.
“Obviously, everyone is happy but the concentration is all on Wednesday against Crystal Palace because the games are coming thick and fast and we want to get on top of the league.
“We have to be professional and not get carried away. We are just going to take the semi-final as a bonus, enjoy the day out and go there and enjoy the football.
“It probably means more that we did it on live TV because it has showed West Brom can do as a team, where we are going and how good our players are.
“It shows also what the manager is doing and it shows that everyone is buzzing.” Albion now have 13 goals from their last three FA Cup matches, all of which have come away from The Hawthorns.
And Morrison was full of praise for yesterday’s hat-trick hero Ishmael Miller and his other attacking colleagues.
He said: “Not many teams will score that many goals and it shows what our strike force is all about and, as our fans say, it shows we have the greatest midfielders in the world.
“Everyone is just digging in and everyone is enjoying their football- and that’s what it is all about. “
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