West Bromwich Albion vs Wigan Athletic. The FA Cup Third Round.
The HawthornsAttendance15,465.
Saturday 5 January 2019 15:01, UK
Bakary Sako scored his first goal for West Brom as they eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup at the expense of fellow Sky Bet Championship side Wigan with a 1-0 win at the Hawthorns.
The Mali international took his rare chance to start with the only goal just after the half-hour mark.
West Brom goalkeeper Jonathan Bond kept the scores level after 10 minutes when he dived to his left to keep out a low shot from Will Grigg at the expense of a corner. Wigan's Chey Dunkley headed over from the flag kick.
Josh Windass tried his luck with a shot from 20 yards which Albion cleared as Wigan continued to boss the early stages.
Chris Brunt curled over a free-kick from the left as West Brom finally threatened but Kyle Bartley's header from the edge of the six-yard box at the back post was blocked.
Wigan failed to properly clear Brunt's corner from the left and when the West Brom captain curled the ball back in, Sako's header went in off the bar for his first Baggies goal with 31 minutes on the clock.
Mason Holgate could have marked his debut with a goal just before half-time but, after cutting in from the right and evading two challenges, the on-loan Everton man's shot was comfortable for Jones to hold low to his right.
Sako should have doubled his side's advantage eight minutes into the second half but after being sent clear his shot was blocked by the legs of Jones before the striker's follow up was cleared on the line by Dunkley.
Holgate headed wide after Bartley had headed Brunt's corner back across goal as the home side pushed for the second goal their superiority deserved - but they had already done enough to secure passage into the fourth round.
