Evan Ferguson’s fifth goal of the season had more than 2000 Albion fans singing about a trip to Wembley after their side saw off Stoke to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
There is still another hurdle to overcome before Wembley becomes a reality and Albion had one or two scares at the bet365 Stadium after Ferguson slammed in Kaoru Mitoma’s cross in the 31st minute.
The goal had been created by skipper Lewis Dunk’s superb pass on his 400th appearance for the club and Albion had other chances, with substitute Danny Welbeck hitting the post late on. Stoke offered more of a threat in the second half but Jason Steele was rarely seriously tested and Albion worked hard all over the pitch to keep their opponents at arm’s length.
Roberto De Zerbi had made five changes to the team which lost to Fulham with Facundo Buonanotte coming in for his full debut. Tariq Lamptey, Jeremy Sarmiento, Jason Steele, Tariq Lamptey and Jan Paul van Hecke also started.
Lamptey was at left back with Pascal Gross on the right, and Buonanotte had a presentable chance in the seventh minute. Lamptey cut back onto his right foot and his cross to the far post was prodded goalwards by the Argentinian, but Jack Bonham deflected it wide for a corner which van Hecke headed over.
The game settled into a pattern as it has done against lower-league teams this season with Albion bossing possession and trying to play their way through the opposition press. But in Tyrese Campbell Stoke had a lively outlet up front and Steele was alert to block his angled effort after he’d got past the skipper.
Campbell tested Steele again on the half-hour with a low drive which the keeper got right behind before Albion went ahead moments later with a well-worked goal. Some patient build-up play saw Dunk play the ball down the inside-left channel to Mitoma who was onside as he slid the ball across the face of goal for Ferguson to slam into an empty net.
Steele pushed Jordan Thompson’s left-foot shot to safety just before the break – a warning to Albion that for all their neat football a second goal would be needed to put the tie to bed. Sarmiento nearly got it in the 59th minute after Moises Caicedo – who’d been subjected to some robust challenges by the Stoke midfield – threaded a pass to him 12 yards out but Bonham saved at full stretch to his right.
The hosts best chance of levelling came on 64 minutes. Pascal Gross was harshly penalised for a foul wide on the left and Thompson’s deep free kick was headed inches wide by Axel Tuanzebe.
Joel Veltman, Deniz Undav, Julio Enciso and Welbeck came on for the last quarter of what had become a pretty ragged affair. Stoke enjoyed more possession in the second half but Albion always looked capable of striking on the break.
In the closing stages Welbeck burst past a couple of challenges but was denied by Bonham, Undav lifted the ball wide from 30 yards with the keeper stranded out of his area and Welbeck hit the post from the corner of the six-yard box after opening up his body and aiming for the far corner.
Albion’s efforts probably merited a second goal but one proved to be enough.
Albion: Steele, Gross, Dunk, van Hecke, Lamptey, Sarmiento (Welbeck 78), Caicedo, Buonanotte (Veltman 68), Mac Allister, Mitoma (Encizo 75), Ferguson (Undav 68).
Subs: Sanchez, McGill, Webster, Moran, Hinshelwood
Attendance 12,949 (2166 Albion)