FA Cup: Chesterfield 3-3 West Brom – Report

It was almost another unwanted chapter of non-league Cup embarrassment in the Baggies' proud history but striker Thomas-Asante nodded into the top corner for his second to make it 3-3 and book a replay at The Hawthorns.

Carlos Corberan's in-form Championship troops failed to transfer their flying league form into a crazy third round tie at the Technique Stadium, where a wild first half brought five goals and a 3-2 lead to the hosts, buoyed by a sell-out crowd.

The Spireites were just minutes from a marquee result, one of the best FA Cup successes in their history against Albion 66 places higher in the pyramid, before Thomas-Asante beat the offside trap to head in from Taylor Gardner-Hickman's lofted pass.

At 3-2 down following an uninspiring 90 minutes, in which Corberan's decision to make a full 11 changes almost backfired, Albion fans suffered harrowing recalls of Cup embarrassment against Woking and Halifax three decades ago as the two sides met for the first time since 1948.

The Spaniard head coach changed his winning side entirely and it looked like the decision would come a cropper for the five-time winners despite Thomas-Asante lashing in an opener on 90 seconds.

Albion were pegged back but Karlan Grant re-established the lead - only for Chesterfield star Armando Dobra to fire a quickfire double before the interval in a watchable and entertaining first period, albeit one that highlighted several issues in an unfamiliar Baggies group.

The second period was a much calmer affair. Corberan had used four of his five changes by the hour mark but it did little to inspire Albion late on. Daryl Dike was required and saw a few openings but it looked like a third straight third round exit for the Baggies until Thomas-Asante stepped forward directly in front of the away end to send the sold-out travelling contingent into raptures.

The replay, unlikely to be top of Corberan's wishlist ahead of the tie, will take place the midweek after next.

A booming Spireites crowd still celebrated booking a date at The Hawthorns but for the non-league side it was a case of what might have been.

Chesterfield had won through three rounds to make this stage. Their campaign began in the fourth qualifying round at ninth tier Anstey Nomads in Leicestershire.

Paul Cook's hosts have since beaten League Two pair Northampton and AFC Wimbledon. Today's attendance was the biggest at the stadium - opened in 2010 - for 12 years.

Corberan stuck to his word and made 11 changes, while flexing the strength of his Baggies squad in doing so.

The line-up consisted of all 11 players Corberan suggested at his pre-match press conference on Friday, so there were few surprises for the 2,000 Baggies who made the trip to Derbyshire.

The side was made up of players who have been on the very fringes and struggled for game time under Corberan, including goalkeeper David Button, defender Martin Kelly, club captain Jake Livermore and fellow midfielder Adam Reach.

As the Spanish head coach promised just one member of Albion's academy, left-back Zac Ashworth - son of former Albion technical director Dan - made the trip. Ashworth, 20, tasted senior involvement for the third time this season, all in the cups and all starts.

Also involved from the off and highlighted Albion strength in depth were Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Grady Diangana, Tom Rogic and Thomas-Asante - all who have featured regularly in the Championship of late.

Defender Semi Ajayi, now back from a long-term ankle lay-off and subsequent shoulder problem, started for the first time in more than four months. Grant was selected on the left flank.

Competition rules state nine substitutes can be named and Corberan included nine of the 11 who dropped out of the side that started against Reading on his bench. Darnell Furlong and Erik Pieters were given days off.

Corberan's opposite number Cook, the former Wolves midfielder and Wigan and Ipswich boss, had his side going well in non-league's top tier with just two defeats in 14 and sitting third.

The Spireites made two changes with former Kidderminster Harriers youngster Tyrone Williams and Arsenal loanee Tim Akinola replacing Ash Palmer and Akwasi Asante. The hosts are no strangers to this stage of the competition and were at Chelsea in this stage of the competition last year.

Rebecca Welch was the referee - the first time an Albion senior game had been officiated by a female referee.

There had been a sense of an occasion outside the stadium a couple of hours before kick-off but it took for the teams to emerge for the packed stadium to raise the roof.

It might have been an entirely unfamiliar Albion side but it was a case of the same-old under Corberan after 90 seconds.

Thomas-Asante rifled his side into a second-minute lead with a scorching half-volley from Grant's cross from the left.

Albion worked it wide well and the delivery from the byline was perfect for Thomas-Asante to crack into the roof of the net first time with his left foot from 10 yards out.

It was some way for Albion to seemingly kill any home hopes of a memorable afternoon - or so the visitors thought.

Instead Cook's refused to let their heads drop and responded well.

Livermore tested Ross Fitzsimons from distance but seconds later the Technique Stadium erupted as a corner undid the visitors.

Chesterfield, as would become a theme, worked the set-piece short and a deep delivery from the left was headed back across goal by centre-back Jamie Grimes for his partner Williams, formerly of Kidderminster and Solihull Moors, to tap in amid a busy six-yard box ahead of Button.

It was the first goal Albion have conceded from open play since the first half of Corberan's first match in charge against Sheffield United 10 games ago.

It didn't quite shake the visitors into life and worse was to come. The busy Liam Mandeville flashed a strike across goal for the Spireites before, somewhat against play, Grant finished well to hand his side the lead again.

The goal owed much to Reach's fine through ball from midfield. Grant raced in and had too much pace for the defenders and his low finish squeezed under the goalkeeper.

Diangana saw a strike fielded by Fitzsimons before Kelly was fortunate having been robbed by livewire Dobra as Albion survived.

They weren't to survive for much longer as Chesterfield grew towards half hour and beyond, roared on by the sold-out crowd.

Button made an outstanding reaction save low down to his right to keep out Mandeville's stabbed effort from close range, but Albion lacked any control, lost the ball all too regularly and Chesterfield with their tails up sniffed blood.

Mandeville's flick from another short corner was gathered by Button before former Ipswich and Albania youth international Dobra took centre stage.

More top work from the right from Mandeville - who profited from an exposed and unprotected Ashworth - allowed the winger to cross for an unmarked Dobra who swept into the corner for 2-2.

And he wasn't done for the half - five minutes later a through ball dissected a sixes-and-sevens Baggies backline and striker Joe Quigley saw his effort parried by Button straight into the dangerzone where Dobra kept his cool to lift high into the net and take the roof off the stadium.

Corberan sacrificed the unfortunate Ashworth at the interval to introduce Jayson Molumby and shift Reach to left-back. Any number of visiting players could've been victim of the half-time cull.

The swap didn't have an immediate reaction as Chesterfield's busy Arsenal loan midfielder Tim Akinola lifted over the top. The hosts were in dreamland as fans cheered 'ole' with every completed pass. Albion, shell-shocked, were several yards off the pace.

Corberan had seen enough 10 minutes after the restart as Daryl Dike and Dara O'Shea were ushered on for Tom Rogic and Kelly.

Those changes helped Albion turn the screw before the hour and a huge chance dropped to the off-key Ajayi after his defensive colleague O'Shea nodded across goal but a mass of bodies and keeper Fitzsimons made the stop.

Signs the visitors finally started to turn the screw came with 20 minutes left as sub Jed Wallace's cross was headed over by Dike at the near post. It was a tough chance but Baggies began to see more of the ball in better positions.

Dike timed a run well but saw a low finish from the angle held by Fitzsimons – who wasn't stretched enough. Dike then made a hash of Wallace's cross before Thomas-Asante's low strike at the keeper. It was a late flurry but just a mild one.

What appeared to be the Baggies' big chance dropped to the wrong player in yellow and green, from their perspective. A ball in from the left was poked at goal by Ajayi but a mass of bodies were able to clear almost from the goalline.

And five minutes added looked as if it would not be enough as Chesterfield might have sealed progression through substitute Kabongo Tshimanga who found the side netting.

But the moment was to arrive. It wasn't a picturebook goal but it mattered not. Gardner-Hickman lofted a lovely ball over the home defence who claimed offside, but play went on, and Thomas-Asante - who leaves Derbyshire with his head held high - used his head to top effect to convert into the top corner and spare big blushes.

Chesterfield (4-1-4-1): Fitzsimons; King, Grimes (c), Williams, Clements (Horton, 70); Jones; Mandeville, Akinola, Oldaker (Banks, 70), Dobra (Uchegbulam, 87); Quigley (Tshimanga, 77).

Subs not used: Covolan, Clarke, Sheckleford, Asante, Palmer.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Button; Gardner-Hickman, Kelly (O'Shea, 55), Ajayi, Ashworth (Molumby, 45); Livermore (c) (Yokuslu, 71), Reach; Diangana (Wallace, 64), Rogic (Dike, 55), Grant; Thomas-Asante.

Subs not used: Palmer, Townsend, Swift, Phillips.

Attendance: 9,819 (1,992)

Referee: Rebecca Welch