by Owen Rawlings, from the Hawthorns

Snapshot

Malky Mackay's men bowed out of the third round of the F.A. Cup on Saturday, despite producing a resilient display which saw the Bluebirds fight back from a two-goal deficit against West Bromwich Albion.

The Bluebirds experienced the full strength of Premier League opposition in the early stages as the Baggies moved into a two-goal lead. Though the Bluebirds had reason to believe that Peter Odemwingie's early strike may have been off-side, they could have no complaints when Simon Cox doubled the home side's lead with a cute header on the half-hour mark.

But the visitors suddenly found themselves back in the game moments later. Filip Kiss stole the ball from Nicky Shorey and delivered for Robert Earnshaw to tap home against his former side.

Things got even better for the Championship side five minutes after half-time as Joe Mason produced a stunning finish on the turn after a neat build-up play by Earnshaw.

But West Brom showed their class to take the game away from the Bluebirds once more. Moments after Shorey had rattled the Bluebirds' bar from the edge of the box, Cox drove home an unstoppable twenty-five yard strike to restore the home side's lead.

Roy Hodgson's side continued to create openings as the Bluebirds seemed to tire somewhat in the final fifteen minutes. Marc-Antoine Fortune wasted numerous opportunities to kill the game off, before James Morrison inexplicably fired wide when presented with an open goal.

But the Baggies did finally settle the encounter in the dying minutes as Cox completed his hat-trick by tapping home a cross from Odemwingie.

Chronological Report

Cardiff City opened up another front on Saturday afternoon as the Bluebirds travelled to West Bromwich Albion for a third round FA Cup tie.

With Tuesday's Carling Cup clash with Crystal Palace in mind, Malky Mackay made wholesale changes to his side. Tom Heaton, Anthony Gerrard, Robert Earnshaw, Dekel Keinan, Paul Quinn, Lee Naylor, Darcy Blake and Stephen McPhail all featured for the Bluebirds. Youngsters Alex Evans, Adedeji Oshilaja, Theo Wharton and Joe Ralls were also included on the bench.

Rudy Gestede had the first chance of the game for the Bluebirds as he found some space in the home side's eighteen-yard box just one minute into proceedings. Unfortunately, the French forward was unable to keep his effort down, striking high over the Baggies' bar. Moments later, Lee Naylor fired a free-kick straight at Ben Foster in the West Brom goal.

However, despite those early opportunities for the Bluebrids, it was the Baggies who increasingly came to control the tempo of the opening exchanges.

Indeed, the Bluebirds were fortunate not to concede a penalty after five minutes. Simon Cox raced to the bye-line and centred towards the penalty spot, whereupon the ball seemed to strike the arm of Dekel Keinan. Fortunately, for Malky Mackay's men, the referee remained unmoved and the Bluebirds were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

From the resulting corner kick, Cox was able to collect a loose ball on the corner of the visitors' six yard box after the Bluebirds had failed to deal with the initial delivery. However, the forward was unable to keep his effort down and the ball spooned high over Tom Heaton's bar.

But the Baggies continued to pressurise the Bluebirds and the movement of Cox and Peter Odemwingie was giving Gerrard and Keinan much cause for concern.

Indeed, the breakthrough came after just seven minutes. Odemwingie latched onto a through ball from Craig Dawson and slotted the ball past the onrushing Heaton.

The Bluebirds players were adamant that the Baggies' frontman had been offside, but the assistant referee decided not to raise his flag.Odemwingie seemed a little bit bemused himself and was unsure whether or not to celebrate, suggesting that the striker was rather fortunate not to see his goal chalked off.

GOAL: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1-0 CARDIFF CITY (Odemwingie, 7 mins)

The visitors tried their hardest to work their way back into proceedings, but it was Roy Hodgson's men who continued to dominate.

James Morrison, featuring on the left-wing for the home side, twice drifted inside to create shooting opportunities for himself around the fifteen minute mark.

Though his first effort rasped narrowly wide of Heaton's right-hand upright, his second strike on goal, five minutes later, was less impressive, flying high and wide over the visitors' bar.

Midway through the first period, the Bluebirds began to earn some parity in possession and created a half-chance for Craig Conway. As the Gestede closed down the Baggies' defenders, the ball fell to the Scottish midfielder on the edge of the eighteen-yard box. Unfortunately, Conway's effort, which looked to be on target, was well blocked.

As the game approached the half-hour mark, Gonzalo Jara Reyes became increasingly prominent down the Baggies' right-hand side. Indeed, it was his trickery which lead to the Baggies' second goal.

The fleet-footed winger took the ball past Lee Naylor before being brought to ground by Keinan. Nicky Shorey took the subsequent free-kick and swung in a curling left-footed cross. Cox climbed highest in the Bluebirds' six-yard box and directed a relatively simple header past Heaton and into the Cardiff goal.

GOAL: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2-0 CARDIFF CITY (Cox, 33 mins)

In truth, that goal probably reflected the pattern of the opening half hour: West Brom had controlled the tie so far.

But then, all of a sudden, the Bluebirds were back in the game. Nicky Shorey dispossessed Filip Kiss on the corner of the home side's box, before inexplicably gifting the ball back to the Slovakian.

Kiss moved into the eighteen yard box and spotted the run of Earnshaw towards the six-yard box. The midfielder released a well-timed cross which left Earnie with the simple task of tapping the ball past the helpless Foster.

GOAL: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2-1 CARDIFF CITY (Earnshaw, 36 mins)

For an awful moment it seemed that the visitors would gift a goal back to the Baggies almost immediately after scoring.

Reyes and Cox combined well down the right-hand side and worked their way into the Bluebirds' box. The latter displayed good composure before picking out Graham Dorrans on the edge of the area.

The Scot unleashed a thunderous shot which, thankfully, was directed straight at Heaton. The Bluebirds' goalkeeper did well to push the ball to safety and the visitors were able to clear.

The game became somewhat end-to-end in the closing stages of the first period, as both sides pushed for the all-important next goal.

Five minutes before the interval, it was the Bluebirds who almost did just that. Earnshaw played a neat one-two with Kiss on the edge of the Baggies' box, before collecting the Slovakian's neat chip into the six-yard box.

As Earnie attempted to lift the ball over the onrushing Foster, the former England man did well to block his effort. The ball fell to Gestede on the edge of the box but the young forward was unable to direct the follow-up on target.

West Brom had the final two chances of the opening period. First, Keinan was made to deflect Reyes' firmly-struck cross away to safety, before Cox lined up another shot, this time striking a relatively tame effort straight at Heaton.

Sadly, Malky Mackay was forced into a change minutes before half-time as Gestede departed due to injury. Rudy had appeared to land awkwardly after challenging for a high ball some minutes before.

Substitution Cardiff: Joe Mason on for Rudy Gestede (42 mins)

HALF-TIME: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2-1 CARDIFF CITY

Despite having been on the back foot for most of this encounter, the Bluebirds found themselves back on level terms almost immediately after the interval.

Earnshaw raced onto a long ball down the visitors' right-hand flank before crossing into the danger zone to find the supporting Joe Mason.

The young striker produced an exceptional turn to take the ball past Dawson on the edge of the six-yard box. Mason then proceeded to unleash an unstoppable effort past Foster from an acute angle.

GOAL: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2-2 CARDIFF CITY (Mason, 50 mins)

This was becoming an increasingly enthralling encounter, and proceedings became even more dramatic moments later when the Baggies came ever so close to scoring their third goal of the game.

Odemwingie kept possession away from Keinan and Naylor on the corner of the Bluebirds' eighteen-yard box, before delivering a searching cross into the six-yard box. Although Gerrard and Quinn combined to clear the immediate danger, the ball fell to Shorey on the edge of the area.

The left-back struck a stunning shot which seemed destined for the top-corner. Thankfully, for Malky Mackay's men, the ball rattled against the cross-bar and bounced over for a goal-kick.

No doubt disgruntled by the fact that his side had allowed the Bluebirds back into the game, Roy Hodgson made a double switch on the hour mark.

Substitution West Bromwich Albion: Marc-Antoine Fortune on for George Thorne (59 mins)

Substitution West Bromwich Albion: Somen Tchoyi on for Gonzalo Jara Reyes (59 mins)

Those changes seemed to have an immediate effect as the Baggies took the lead again moments later.

Cox, so influential throughout this clash, collected a loose header from Gerrard before firing a powerful twenty-five yard effort which ricocheted off Heaton's right-hand post and flew into the opposite corner.

GOAL: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 3-2 CARDIFF CITY (Cox, 60 mins)

That goal seemed to inspire both sides to open themselves up even more.

Marc-Antoine Fortune broke free down the home side's left-hand flank, though he could only conspire to drag his shot wide of Heaton's near post. Moments later, Darcy Blake lined up a twenty-five yard effort which Foster did well to parry to safety.

Substitution Cardiff: Theo Wharton on for Dekel Keinan (70 mins)

Earnshaw was having a particularly impressive game and it seemed that if the visitors were to get back on level terms once again, then it would most likely come through the work of the former Baggies' forward.

Earnie had chased long balls down the channels all afternoon and constantly sought to bring his team-mates into play. With twenty minutes to play, the forward held the ball up before allowing Craig Conway to whip in a left-wing cross. Unfortunately, Kiss was just unable to direct his header on target at the back post.

Substitution West Bromwich Albion: Gabriel Tamas on for Gareth McAuley (74 mins)

But as the game wore on it became clear that it was the home side that were most likely to add to the scoreline. Fortune broke into space once more and was only denied by some brave goalkeeping from Heaton. The former Manchester United 'keeper rushed out well to collect the ball at the feet of the powerful West Brom forward.

Five minutes later, Hodgson's side really should have had the game sewn up. After good build-up play, Morrison was able to take the ball around the helpless Heaton. Bizarrely, the winger could only find the side netting when presented with an open goal.

With the Bluebirds now playing with just three men in defence, the chances kept on coming for the Baggies. As the game approached the ninetieth minute, Fortune was once again able to progress into the visitor's box with relative ease.

But the forward was rather greedy as he refused to lay the ball into the path of the unmarked Odemwingie, before proceeding to strike a tame effort straight at Heaton.

On the stroke of full-time, the Baggies finally got the goal which they had been threatening for so long. Odemwingie was played into space down the Bluebird's right-hand flank and was able to cross into the eighteen-yard box for Cox to slot home his third goal of the game.

GOAL: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 4-2 CARDIFF CITY (Cox, 90 mins)

The Bluebirds had little time to repeat their earlier heroics as the tie was brought to a close soon after. Malky Mackay's men now move onto their crucial Carling Cup semi-final clash against Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

FULL-TIME: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 4-2 CARDIFF CITY

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