BIRMINGHAM CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
FA Cup 4th Round
Saturday 24th January 2015, 3:00pm
St Andrews

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 129th competitive meeting between Albion and Birmingham City. The Baggies currently lead the way in terms of victories with 56 compared to Blues' 35.

The Baggies' last game on this date came in 2009 when in a FA Cup fourth round tie at The Hawthorns they drew 2-2 with Burnley. The club's last win on January 24 came back in 1976 in another FA Cup 4th round clash, this time against Lincoln City at The Hawthorns. Tony Brown, Mick Martin and Bryan Robson the scorers in a 3-2 win for the hosts. A full run down of Albion's record on this date over the years can be found here.

Birmingham's last game on January 24 also came in 2009, the club suffering a 2-0 Championship defeat at Blackpool. City's last win on this date came in 2004 when they beat Wimbledon 1-0 in a FA Cup 4th round tie at St Andrews.

Albion have played eight FA Cup ties on this date over the years, winning four and losing three.

The Baggies have won just three out of their last 17 FA Cup ties against teams from the top two tiers in English football (W3 D7 L7).

Albion's last six games: Everton (A) 0-0; Hull City (H) 1-0; Gateshead (H, FAC) 7-0; West Ham United (A) 1-1; Stoke City (A) 0-2; Manchester City (H) 1-3.

City's last six games: Leeds United (A) 1-1; Wigan Athletic (H) 3-1; Blyth Spartans (A, FAC) 3-2; Nottingham Forest (A) 3-1; Derby County (H) 0-4; Huddersfield Town (A) 1-0.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

James Morrison is a doubt for the Baggies and faces a late fitness test after picking up a knock.

Jonas Olsson remains missing due to his Achilles injury whilst Youssouf Mulumbu and Jason Davidson are currently away with their respective nations.

Birmingham City

Former Albion winger Lloyd Dyer could make his debut after signing from on loan from Watford but City are still without the injured Matt Green (knee), Will Packwood (groin) and Gavin Gunning (knee).

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 11/10, Birmingham City Win: 14/5, Draw: 21/10.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 4/1, Anichebe 11/2, Ideye 6/1, Sessegnon 8/1, Gardner 10/1, Brunt 12/1, Dorrans 12/1, Morrison 14/1, Dawson 20/1, McAuley 20/1, Baird 25/1, Lescott 25/1, Yacob 33/1, Pocognoli 33/1.

Birmingham City: Donaldson 13/2, Thomas 7/1, Zigic 8/1, Gray 9/1, Novak 9/1, Shinnie 10/1, Dyer 10/1, Cotterill 12/1, Arthur 12/1, Caddis 14/1, Gleeson 16/1, Duffy 20/1, Reilly 25/1, Morrison 28/1, Davis 33/1, Edgar 33/1, Spector 33/1.

No goalscorer: 8/1.

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REFEREE

Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)

Clattenburg has officiated two Albion games so far this season - the 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City on Boxing Day and the 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace in October.

He refereed three Albion games last season - the 1-0 win at Norwich City in April, the 4-3 defeat at Aston Villa in January and the 2-0 defeat against Norwich at The Hawthorns in December.

The County Durham official last took charge of a Birmingham City game back in May 2011 - the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, a game that saw Blues suffer relegation from the Premier League.

The official has issued 98 yellow and two red cards in the 24 games he has taken charge of so far this season.

A full run-down of Clattenburg's history refereeing the Baggies can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

Albion will be backed by travelling support of 5,500 fans with all tickets long sold out.

WEATHER FORECAST

Sunny, 5°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT ST ANDREWS

Birmingham City 1-3 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 5th March 2011, 12:45pm

Birmingham City: Foster; Carr, Johnson, Davies, Ridgewell (Murphy 80); Beausejour (Phillips 67), Fahey, Bowyer, Bentley; Jerome, Martins. Subs not used: Doyle (gk), Larsson, Zigic, Parnaby, Mutch.

Goalscorer: Beausejour 48

Booked: Bowyer 51 (foul), Ridgewell 52 (unsporting behaviour), Fahey 88 (foul)

Albion: Carson; Reid, Meite, Olsson, Shorey; Scharner, Mulumbu; Brunt, Morrison (Tamas 78), Thomas (Jara 67); Fortuné (Odemwingie HT). Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Cox, Tchoyi, Vela.

Goalscorers: Mulumbu 47, Morrison 58, Scharner 72

Booked: Scharner 52 (unsporting behaviour)

Referee: Mike Jones (Chester)

Attendance: 27,013 (3,153 Albion fans)

A stunning 20-yard strike by James Morrison helped West Bromwich beat local rivals Birmingham to ease their Premier League relegation fears. After a quiet first half, Youssouf Mulumbu sparked the match into life when he poked in from close range. Just over a minute later, Jean Beausejour equalised for the Blues when he turned in Lee Bowyer's low cross. Morrison's left-foot drive restored the Baggies lead at St Andrews before Paul Scharner headed in the third.

It was a deserved scoreline for Roy Hodgson's team. They looked far more spritely than Birmingham, who appeared sluggish a week after their epic Carling Cup final win. However, neither team will look back at the first half with any great fondness. The only occasions on which a goalmouth was threatened came from two efforts by Birmingham's Cameron Jerome. His first was a weak shot from 20 yards that trickled past Scott Carson's left-hand upright, the former Cardiff forward then directing a stooping header wide of the same post.

But the yawn-inducing first half was soon a distant memory two minutes into the second, when Mulumbu bravely slotted in from 12 yards. Substitute Peter Odemwingie, brought on after the restart, fed Congolese midfielder Mulumbu who took a knock en route to beating Ben Foster with his shot. But the cheers of the visiting fans were short-lived - 79 seconds, to be precise. It was a simple Blues move that led to the equaliser. Full-back Stephen Carr found Bowyer and the former Newcastle midfielder delivered a precise square ball into the six-yard area for Beausejour to turn in. If that goal was admirable for its simplicity then West Bromwich's second was admirable for its audacity. Midfielder Morrison, returning to the starting XI, collected a pass from Steven Reid before pushing the ball a foot past Curtis Davies and letting fly. It was sensational strike, similar in brilliance to the one he scored against Manchester United earlier this season. Odemwingie then blazed over from eight yards after Chris Brunt's shot smacked Foster's left-hand post and landed in the Nigerian's path. But the visitors' third finally came when the dogged Scharner popped up at the far post to head in Morrison's cross from what seemed an impossible angle to wrap up a vital win.

BBC Sport

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Goalkeeper Ben Foster joined the Baggies on a season long loan from City in July 2011 and after a successful campaign joined the club permanently in a £4million deal in June 2012.

Foster's deputy at The Hawthorns Boaz Myhill spent the 2011/12 season on loan at St Andrews.

Tough-tackling defender Paul Robinson spent six years at The Hawthorns making almost 250 appearances for the club before leaving for Bolton. He moved to St Andrews in September 2012.

Winger Lloyd Dyer progressed from Albion's reserve side to become a key figure in the club's promotion campaign of 2003/04. He joined City earlier this week on loan from Watford.

Life-long Blues' fan Craig Gardner spent 18 months at St Andrews before leaving for Sunderland in June 2011 for a reported £6million. He joined Albion last summer on a free transfer following the end of his Sunderland contract.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Scott Allan, Ray Barlow, Dave Barnett, Sid Bowser, William Bowser, David Burrows, David Carlisle, Darren Carter, Chris Charsley, Gary Childs, Dennis Clarke, Joe Connor, Jack Crisp, Dickie Dale, Curtis Davies, Stan Davies, Jack Dorrington, George Dorsett, Ted Duckhouse, Ernie Edwards, Ron Fenton, Isaiah Foster, John Glover, Tony Godden, Tom Green, Tom Grosvenor, Phil Hawker, Bill Hicklin, Vernon Hodgson, Paul Holmes, Bobby Hope, Robert Hopkins, Geoff Horsfield, James Hurst, Pablo Ibanez, Alec Jackson, Dennis Jennings, Willie Johnston, Alan Jones, Steve Lynex, Paul Mardon, Andy Marriott, Mark McCarrick, Alan Miller, Jack Morfitt, Tony Morley, George Morrall, Sid Oliver, John Paskin, Jim Pemberton, Paul Peschisolido, Kevin Phillips, Graham Potter, Darren Purse, Nigel Quashie, James Quinn, Tony Rees, Liam Ridgewell, Darren Rogers, William Rose, Arthur Samson, Barry Siddall, Alf Silvester, Scott Sinclair, Andrew Smith, David Smith, Fred Smith, Joe Smith, Billy Smith, Jack Southam, David Speedie, Kevin Summerfield, George Tranter, John Trewick, Arthur Turner, Ray Walker, Ike Webb, Fred Wheldon, Norman Whitehead, Chris Whyte, Harry Wilcox, Colin Withers and Chris Wood.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS BIRMINGHAM CITY