Albion win on penalties - Report and pictures

Awful West Brom survived a major scare as they defeated Port Vale 5-3 on penalties to reach round three of the Capital One Cup.

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The Baggies produced a tepid display and failed to find the net in 120 minutes against the League One side.

But they scored all five penalties in the shoot-out with Richard Duffy's miss proving fatal for the Potteries side as James Chester slotted the winning kick.

The Baggies will be jaded ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke, however, and they lost Chris Brunt to injury early on.

After a low-key start to the game, Albion suffered an early blow when Chris Brunt went down injured in the 12th minute. He left the field immediately to be replaced by Craig Dawson.

The Baggies had a glimmer of a chance when Serge Gnabry, making his full debut, nipped onto a Brown Ideye pass but was flagged offside in a marginal decision.

The Baggies went closer moments later when Rickie Lambert found some space to cross to the far post, where Ideye produced a header that flew just wide.

Albion (4-4-2): Myhill 6; Chester 5, McAuley 6, Olsson 5, Brunt (Dawson, 12, 5); Gnabry 6 (McManaman, 58, 5), Fletcher 6, Yacob 5, McClean 5; Lambert 5, Ideye 4 (Rondon, 58, 5).

Subs not used: Gardner, Anichebe, Sessegnon, Rose (gk).

Port Vale (4-4-1-1): Alnwick; Purkiss, Inniss, Duffy, Dickinson; Moore, Grant, Foley, Andoh (Daniel, 94); Dodds (Kelly, 105); Ikpeazu (Leitch-Smith, 67).

Subs not used: Streete, Birchall, Brown, Johnson (gk).

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)

Attendance: 13,915[/breakout]

He was convinced goalkeeper Jak Alnwick had made a fingertip save, but referee Keith Stroud awarded a goal-kick.

Vale then got into a mix-up at the back and Alnwick had to make a hurried clearance under pressure from Ideye.

There was another scare for the hosts when Ideye went down in pain following a hefty challenge from Anthony Grant, but the forward managed to continue following a spell of treatment.

Ideye had the next opening for his side in an incredibly tepid encounter as he rose to meet a cross by Darren Fletcher and head at goal.

Alnwick blocked it but the linesman's flag was already on its way up for offside.

Vale had offered little as an attacking force but Albion finally had some defending to do when Dawson lost possession carelessly to Dodds.

The ball stayed around the edge of the Baggies area for several passes before James Chester eventually cleared the danger.

Albion had enjoyed most of the possession without creating a great deal, but they threatened three minutes before the interval through Gnabry.

He cut in from the right and tried a powerful shot from 20 yards but it cleared the crossbar by a distance.

They went close again in stoppage-time as Lambert let fly from the edge the area and a deflection forced Alnwick into a smart save, diving to his right.

The Baggies twice went close in the opening four minutes of the second half as they returned from the break with added purpose.

First Grant had to clear off the goalline after Lambert had leapt highest to meet a Dawson cross.

And then Alnwick made a fine save above his head to tip a stinging drive by Lambert from the edge of the area over the bar.

But the visitors almost struck their hosts with a sucker punch, when Louis Dodds collected possession on the edge of the box and slid a shot just wide.

Moments later it was Dodds again who met a corner from Sam Foley but his cross flew well wide.

And the Baggies struggled badly in the moments that followed as they appeared to run out of energy and ideas.

The introduced Salomon Rondon and Callum McManaman from the bench in a bid to pep up their attacking, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

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They worked one decent opening, but Chester sent his cross straight into the side netting.

They won a free-kick 25 yards from goal when McManaman was tripped but Lambert curled it woefully high and wide.

In the closing stages the Baggies twice went close with Lambert involved on both occasions. First he provided a cross from which Rondon headed inches wide.

Then he tried his luck with an audacious lob from 35 yards that referee Stroud ruled had hit the bar, although Albion were again adamant that Alnwick had got a touch.

Early on in extra-time Rondon raced onto a lofted pass from Lambert and pulled away from two defenders but sent his shot just wide.

Then McManaman collected a knock-down from Rondon and tried a shot that deflected wide for a corner that came to nothing.

And at the end of the first period of extra-time, Claudio Yacob sent a horrible shot high and wide to sum up his team's efforts.

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Early in the second period the Baggies had missed glorious chances to break the deadlock.

The first two fell to Rondon, who fired wide from a Lambert pass before heading against the crossbar from four yards out with the goal gaping.

Then Alnwick made a smart save to deny James McClean.

The Vale keeper made an even better one moments later to keep out a deflected Lambert drive but blotted his copybook when he was bizarrely booked for diving in the tussle for the ball that followed.

McManaman had been cautioned moments earlier for the same offence as the game went to penalties.

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