Nigerian international, Brown Ideye continued his fine recent form by scoring twice as West Bromwich Albion beat a woeful West Ham United 4-0 on Saturday to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The Nigeria striker, West Brom’s £10 million ($15.2 million, 13.4 million euros) record signing, scored either side of a 25-yard strike from James Morrison to take his tally to four goals in three games.
West Ham substitute Morgan Amalfitano was sent off after shoving Chris Brunt in the face and Saido Berahino added a fourth to rubber-stamp West Brom’s progress to the last eight for the first time since 2008.
Five-time winners West Brom have now won five of the eight matches since Alan Irvine was succeeded as manager by Tony Pulis, who is bidding to emulate his achievement of guiding Stoke City to the final in 2011.
Craig Gardner and Stephane Sessegnon came into the West Brom team for the cup-tied Darren Fletcher and Callum McManaman at the Hawthorns, with the former volleying wide from Brunt’s early left-wing cross.
Ideye made the breakthrough in the 20th minute, guiding in a low cross from Craig Dawson.
Gardner rattled the bar from 30 yards before Morrison made it 2-0 three minutes before half-time, winning a 50-50 with Mark Noble and fading a right-foot shot past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian from 25 yards.
Ideye claimed his second goal shortly before the hour, powering a header past Adrian from Sessegnon’s deflected cross.
West Ham striker Diafra Sakho saw a header blocked on the line by Gareth McAuley before the visitors were reduced to 10 men due to a rush of blood to the head from Amalfitano.
The French midfielder was shown a yellow card for hacking at Brunt from behind and after then shoving the Northern Irishman in the face, referee Martin Atkinson brandished the red card.
West Ham’s misery was complete two minutes later when Berahino embarrassed Adrian at his near post from Gardner’s pass to register his fifth FA Cup goal of the campaign.
In another FA cup tie, Norway striker Josh King scored a hat-trick as second-tier Blackburn Rovers reached the FA Cup quarter-finals by coming from behind to beat 10-man Stoke City 4-1 on Saturday.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes saw his side take a 10th-minute lead against his former club at Ewood Park when Peter Crouch volleyed home at a corner, only for King to head in an equaliser in the 36th minute.
After Geoff Cameron was sent off for holding King back, Rudy Gestede put Blackburn in front with a penalty on the stroke of half-time before King completed his treble with quick-fire goals early in the second period.
Asked if his side could go on and claim a first FA Cup trophy since 1928, victorious manager Gary Bowyer joked: “Do me a favour, I’ve just finished this game!