Yakubu, Ideye Hit Quarterfinals In English FA Cup

RECORD signing Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye scored twice as resurgent West Brom thumped West Ham to reach the FA Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2008.

  Another Nigerian, former Super Eagles hit man, Yakubu Aiyegbeni came off the bench to score his first goal for Reading and secure an FA Cup fifth-round victory at Derby.

  Hal Robson-Kanu gave the visitors a 53rd-minute lead after Stephen Warnock had been sent off on his Derby debut for fouling Jamie Mackie.

  Darren Bent’s fifth goal in as many games levelled the scores in the all-Championship tie eight minutes later.

With a replay beckoning, January signing Yakubu fired in a low left-footed shot.

  Rams boss Steve McClaren made seven changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Bournemouth in the league in midweek.

January signings Jesse Lingard – on loan from Manchester United – and former Leeds United captain Warnock were given their first starts, but the latter lasted 39 minutes at the IPro Stadium before he was shown a second yellow card for a tough challenge on Jamie Mackie.

  Ideye side-footed the Baggies ahead after 20 minutes before a 25-yard shot from James Morrison made it 2-0.

The Nigerian headed the third goal from eight yards early in the second half.

  West Ham substitute Morgan Amalfitano was sent off for pushing Chris Brunt in the face before Saido Berahino drove in the final goal at the near post.

  West Brom are still fighting against relegation in the Premier League but manager Tony Pulis – who has lost just one in his first eight games in charge – had made it clear he also wants a sustained cup run.

  And the performance of his side reflected that as they moved to within two wins of giving Pulis the chance to make amends for the defeat he suffered as Stoke manager against Manchester City in the 2011 FA Cup final.

  The Baggies dominated throughout against a West Ham side who, according to manager Sam Allardyce, were also intent on trying to win the trophy with no fears of their own about league safety.

  Before this season, Allardyce had not enjoyed an FA Cup win in his three seasons in charge of the Hammers but after a run of just one defeat in nine games they were unable to replicate their recent form.

  West Ham were missing injured striker Andy Carroll, whose season has been ended by a knee injury, and they were never able to wrest the initiative back once West £10m man Brown Ideye scored twice in his first 17 appearances for West Brom but in his last three games has found the net against Burnley, Swansea and West Ham, twice.

  Ideye, who initially struggled following his arrival from Dynamo Kiev for a reported £10m last summer, has now scored four goals in his last three games to take his tally for the season to five.

  The Nigeria international tapped home the opening goal from a Craig Dawson cross and West Brom almost doubled their lead when Craig Gardner, playing in place of the cup-tied Darren Fletcher, struck the bar from 35 yards.