FA Cup progress ticks a list of boxes for West Brom boss Carlos Corberan
Albion boss Carlos Corberan reflected on a job well done as his side ticked a number of boxes in routine FA Cup progression.
The Baggies sailed through to round four – and will find out their opponents in this evening’s draw – with a 4-1 canter against National League opposition Aldershot Town on an afternoon to remember for youngsters and returning frontman Daryl Dike.
Head coach Corberan had reiterated the seriousness he would give the competition despite Albion’s threadbare squad. He maintained the history of the five-time winners, which demands the club give it their all.
“We achieved what we wanted, to go through to the next round,” Corberan said. “We did it without injuries, another target we had, especially in this situation. We made good football in the first half, which showed the respect we had for the competition and for every single fan that came today to support.
“Young players made their debut. Dike played and scored. If you put these things together, it’s been a good day for us. Scoring early was the key – to not give them any type of option, to show our commitment with the winning mentality which helped us create the difference in the result and decreased their chances of winning the game.”
Albion were 3-0 up against the fifth tier Shots inside half hour, with Nathaniel Chalobah, Jovan Malcolm, Dike and Tom Fellows on target late on. The visitors, who entered the competition in the qualifying stages before round one were overawed but did net a consolation for 5,000 away fans to cheer.
“When you are one club like West Bromwich Albion, one club with the history in this competition, you need to compete and to keep going,” Corberan added. “In the next game (round) it has to be the same. Sometimes you can use players who are not playing in the league for different reasons, sometimes you need to adapt the shape to make everyone ready for people to compete like we did.
“For us it’s important to keep going and pass tot he next round, let’s see what happens in the draw, our target is always to keep growing in the season. That’s what West Bromwich Albion as a club deserves.”
As well as a day to remember for the academy, the stand-out plus-point for the hosts was £7million striker Dike marking nine months injured with a well-taken goal and a celebrating with real meaning.
The frontman will now complete a week’s uninterrupted training for the first time and is pushing to be involved against Blackburn at home in the Championship on Saturday.
“Yes, although now he’s reacted OK doesn’t mean anything,” the boss added. “We must now keep working in his adaption to the game, keep working him well and then hopefully we’ll keep growing in this process and he’ll be ready to be involved in the squad.
“To achieve something important in the Championship, you don’t need a lot of injuries. That’s key.
“When I was in Huddersfield, we didn’t suffer a lot of injuries – in the first year, yes, but in the second we didn’t suffer. That can be a massive difference. Keeping your players as options is always going to help you to compete in games.
“Especially as we don’t have Josh Maja until April, we need to have another striker. To have Dike as a striker is a positive, always, to have him back with the group.”
