Carlos Corberan: West Brom survived FA Cup 'magic' lesson at Chesterfield

The National League hosts were a couple of stoppage time minutes from a famous 3-2 victory against their in-form Championship visitors.

But Brandon Thomas-Asante converted a stoppage time header to rescue a third-round replay and spare the blushes of a much-changed Albion.

Corberan made the full 11 changes for the trip to the fifth tier side and Albion were almost undone after a chaotic first half of five goals, which almost sent the visitors out in the third round for the third season running.

The Baggies head coach conceded Chesterfield were the better side for large parts and did the basics better than their visitors, who play 66 places further up the pyramid. Many of Corberan's starters have not played much football of late, but the head coach was not ready for any excuses.

He said: "When you are playing as first-team players, you need to show that you can compete in the Championship and to compete in every competition we are in.

"I can't find an excuse that allows me to think why we didn't perform to the level we have performed, but it's true that for the players who have had a long time without playing that it's not easy to find the tempo of the game right away.

"One of the reasons why we were making the 11 (changes) we did was because the players need to be ready at any minute of the season to help the team. Today was a big opportunity for some of them and sometimes it's not always easy to use the opportunity when you're a long time without playing.

"You don't have the tempo, the distance, the level of harmony you need to have in order to compete. At the same time, we have to do better, we have to defend and attack better. Today the opponent has given us a magic lesson for football. The reaction of my team in the last minutes was positive."

Thomas-Asante put Albion ahead in 90 seconds before Tyrone Williams' equaliser.

Karlan Grant handed the visitors the lead again shortly afterwards at a sold-out Technique Stadium but Spireites star Armando Dobra turned the contest deservedly in the hosts' favour with a double before half-time.

And that looked to be that - despite the introduction of Baggies big-hitters after the break - until Thomas-Asante sent the packed away end wild late on.

"It's important that every player is ready to help the team in any circumstance, when they're not playing, when they're coming from the bench, when they're not in one week but in the next. Football demands it, the situation demands it," Corberan added.

"We will analyse the game and we will draw the best conclusions that we can so that we can keep growing as a club, and as a team."

Albion have booked their place in tomorrow's (Sunday) fourth round draw. The Hawthorns replay against National League Chesterfield will take place the midweek after next, with the tie almost-certainly set to be declared for Tuesday, January 17 due to Albion's league trip to Burnley that Friday.