Albion 4 Rotherham 3 - Analysis

But if Simon Cox's last-gasp winner hands the summer signing an infusion of confidence, then the dreadful evening might not have been completely wasted.

The bare details of this seven-goal Carling Cup clash would suggest a thriller. The Baggies led three times and the Millers led once, with Cox's last-gasp extra-time winner sparing Roberto Di Matteo the trauma of a penalty shoot-out.

But the best way to watch this game was on Teletext for everyone but Cox's friends and relatives, because they will hope his fantastic finish in the 116th minute of a woeful spectacle is the start of something special, after a difficult start to life at the Hawthorns for the former Swindon marksman.

His full home debut might not have matched the dramatic emergence of his agent, Cyrille Regis, onto the Albion scene against the Millers 32 years ago this month.

But Cox will not care in the slightest if the decisive touch at the end of extra-time proves to be the shot in the arm he has needed all season.

He had rarely looked like opening his account despite a lively display, until the predatory moment that settled a dire game.

Roman Bednar will have enjoyed the evening to, as he made his return to the fray to the acclaim of the Hawthorns faithful. The Czech was received warmly by the crowd and gave an encouraging 64-minute display after his drugs ban, although he has plenty of ring-rust to shake off.

If only Leon Barnett and Abdoulaye Meite could use the same excuse. The less than dynamic central defensive duo were at sixes and sevens throughout, as League Two Rotherham found the net three times against an Albion side showing nine changes from their last Championship outing.

All's well that ends well, although Di Matteo had to watch his fringe players plod through 120 minutes to book their place in the third round.

Craig Beattie struck twice for the home side with one lucky goal and one thunderbolt, while Graham Dorrans capped another fine performance with a cultured goal.

But slack defending allowed the Millers to strike three times, first through Michael Cummings and twice by Tom Pope.

It was the Baggies who dominated possession in the early stages and they could have been ahead on nine minutes, through Reuben Reid against his former club.

The wideman darted in from the right to collect a pass from Bednar on the edge of the box and his shot was heading in, until Jamie Green scrambled back to clear.

The ball fell to Shaun Cummings out wide and his cross found Bednar's head, but he glanced his header wide.

Yet Albion did not have to wait long for the opening goal. It arrived on 10 minutes, when Bednar intercepted a poor pass on halfway and fed Beattie on the left.

The Scot's effort was more cross than shot, but Bednar dummied on the edge of the six-yard box and the ball crept into the far corner.

Moments later Rotherham broke and Danny Harrison hit a shot from 25 yards but it was never troubling veteran goalkeeper Kiely, as it flew over.

Albion continued to dominate and Bednar could have got his name on the scoresheet midway through the first half.

Graham Dorrans fed Reid on the right with an excellent pass and he aimed a low cross towards Bednar, but Green got their a fraction earlier and conceded a corner.

But the Millers struck back out of nowhere on 29 minutes. Green collected a throw-in on the left and angled a superb cross to the far post, where Cummins outjumped Cech to thunder home a header.

Bednar and Cox linked up well moments later and fed Beattie, who cut in from the left but saw his low shot saved by Andy Warrington.

The first-half petered out but the second period brought almost immediate success for the Baggies and again Bednar was heavily involved.

He collected a pass from Cech and delayed his pass before picking out the overlapping run of Dorrans, who curled a perfect shot into the top corner.

But it took just two minutes for the home side to give away the lead for a second time. Law curled a dangerous corner into the six-yard box, where Pope rose completely unmarked to power a headed past the helpless Kiely.

Albion should have restored their advantage just before the hour-mark when Rotherham stopped, expecting a free-kick, referee Grant Hegley allowed play to continue and Dorrans picked out Simon Cox.

The striker got the better of defender Nick Fenton, but his chipped shot was too close to veteran goalkeeper Andy Warrington, who stuck out a hand to make a save.

Albion made a couple of changes in a bid to liven things up with Joe Mattock and Chris Wood replacing Cech and Bednar. But the second period began to deteriorate, with fears of extra-time increasing by the moment.

The crowd stirred briefly in the final 10 minutes of normal time, when a cross by Shaun Cummings found the head of Wood but the offside flag was raised against the giant New Zealander. Dorrans was the most likely man to break the stalemate and he almost did so five minutes into extra time.

He turned 20 yards out and unleashed a shot that was creeping inside the post, but Warrington pulled off a diving save.

Nine minutes into the extra period the home defence self-destructed and handed the visitors the lead. Abdoulaye Meite headed needlessly across the face of goal for Leon Barnett, whose even worse headed presented the ball to Pope and he rifled a shot past Kiely.

But again the lead lasted just two minutes, before Beattie produced another bolt from the blue to draw the Baggies level. He picked up possession wide on the left and checked inside before hammering a powerful shot from 25 yards into the roof of the net.

Cox had a chance to make it 4-3 when he was fed by Valero, but he blasted wide of the target.

But with minutes remaining the summer signing pounced and spared the Hawthorns crowd any more suffering.

By Steve Madeley