Albion 7 Gateshead 0 - Report and pictures
Four goals from Saido Berahino including an 11-minute hat-trick helped boss Tony Pulis kick off his West Brom reign with an FA Cup rout against Gateshead.
The Baggies scored five goals in 13 minutes with Victor Anichebe and Chris Brunt also on target as they recovered from a poor first-half display to run out comfortable third-round winners.
James Morrison scored late on and Berahino grabbed his fourth in stoppage-time to give Pulis victory in his first official game in charge since succeeding Alan Irvine.
But it was Berahino who took the headlines as he took his season's tally to 13 goals, but refused to celebrate any of today's tally.
It took just 15 minutes for Pulis to swap his seat in the directors' bench for a spot just yards from the touchline.
And it was hardly surprising as his side made a lacklustre start with Gateshead John Oster testing stand-in Baggies keeper Boaz Myhill from an early free-kick after a foul on Matty Pattison.
Myhill had to make a better save moments later to keep out a header from Michael Rankine from an Oster free-kick.
And moments later Alex Rodman burst down the right and dragged a cross-shot just wide of the far post.
Graham Dorrans had a rare effort at goal for the Baggies just after the half-hour but dragged a left-footed shot straight at keeper Adam Bartlett.
And then Gateshead had a glorious chance when Pattison sprinted down the right and pulled the ball back for Oster, but he fired harmlessly over the bar when he snatched at a shot despite being unmarked 15 yards out.
But three minutes before the interval the deadlock was broken in Albion's favour.
Victor Anichebe made a poor connection with a Chris Brunt corner, Graham Dorrans' powerful shot was well saved by Bartlett and Berahino hammered home the rebound.
And it was 2-0 in first-half stoppage-time when Anichebe collected a Berahino pass and outmuscled Ben Clark before lashing a shot inside the near post.
Berahino added the third less than a minute into the second half with the pick of the afternoon's goals, collecting the ball 20 yards out and bending a wonderful shot around Bartlett and inside the far post.
And he completed his hat-trick on 53 minutes when he arrived to meet a Chris Baird pull-back with another expert finish that gave Bartlett no chance.
Captain Brunt made it 5-0 two minutes later when he raced onto a clever through-ball from substitute Georgios Samaras and completed a left-footed finish despite stumbling.
And Berahino could have added another moments later when he cut in from the right but saw his low shot parried by Bartlett.
Bartlett made a smart save to deny Samaras from a tight angle but Morrison made it 6-0 with 11 minutes to play.
He sprinted to the far post to turn home Silvestre Varela's cross from the left. And, late o, Bartlett made smart saves to prevent first Brunt and then Samaras adding to the score.
