Albion hardman Paul Robinson will be at the front of the queue this afternoon if the Baggies’ FA Cup semi-final goes to penalties.
The no-nonsense defender has insisted he will not shy away from the challenge if the 12.15pm Wembley clash with Portsmouth ends in stalemate after extra time.
“We’ll have practiced penalties and yes, I will take one if it comes to that,” he said.
“It’s a challenge I’d want to take.
“I’d want to put myself forward and I’d be confident.
“If the keeper saves it, he saves it, but I wouldn’t shirk the challenge. I will definitely put myself forward to take one if it ends as a draw.”
Robinson will begin this afternoon on a personal mission to bury his own FA Cup demons, having lost his previous semi-final with Watford to Southampton.
“No-one likes losing in the semi-final of an FA Cup,” he said.
“We were underdogs that year and we were expected to be given the runaround, but we gave them the runaround.
“But we still had the memories of playing in a semi-final – now we have the chance to prove ourselves against a quality Premier League side.
“There is no pressure on us this year.
“We can go there and it can be a guide to how we might do in the Premier League.
“We want to be playing against the Man Uniteds, Arsenals, Portsmouths of this world and so it’s a massive occasion for us as a club and where we go as a club.”
And Robinson is predicting a potential semi-final classic against Pompey this afternoon.
“We haven’t really prepared for it properly because we have been focusing on the league,” he said.
“But we have talked about it a little bit and we are all excited and looking forward to the challenge.
“It’s the same for the players as it is for a the fans.
“It’s a special occasion to go to the new Wembley and play against a fantastic Portsmouth side.
“We will be excited and we’re hoping it will be an entertaining game.
“We like to attack and we know they like to attack.
“For everyone watching, especially the neutral fans, it should be an enjoyable game.”
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