The Bell tolls on Baggies’ Cup dreams
lash after being teed up by a superb Ivan Perisic flick on, instinctive.
Preston may have been ultimately outclassed but Ryan Lowe’s side were value for a less-emphatic scoreline.
There were excellent performances throughout, with Liam Lindsay, Ali McCann and Ched Evans, with a strong display up front, standing out.
If they can take this sort of performance back into the Championship a play off place — they are currently two points adrift of Norwich in sixth — is not out of the question.
Evans believes Preston could be mixing it with Spurs again next season if they can replicate the display from now until May.
“The changing room wasn’t that disheartened after that,” he said.
“We look at the league now and we look to Saturday at home against Bristol City and three points is the objective there.
“It’s a nice reminder to see what the quality is like in the Premier League and to get there we’ve got to be up there.
“If we can apply ourselves defensively like that in the league and create a few more chances, who knows? We could be there next year.”
SAM Bell talked proudly about following in his father’s footsteps after his first two Ashton Gate goals put Bristol City on course for the FA Cup fifth round.
The 20-year-old striker is son of former Robins attacking left-back Micky Bell, now a coach in the club’s Academy, who netted 34 times in nearly 300 League appearances between 1997 and 2005.
A promotion-winner with City, he watched from the stands as Bell junior announced himself as an exciting new star with two superb finishes in an exhilarating team performance.
Promoted to the starting line-up following Antoine Semenyo’s move to Bournemouth, the rookie front-man, with only a handful of Championship appearances, tore Albion to shreds with his pace and movement.
Product
A sweet right-footed curler broke the deadlock on 12 minutes.
And after another Academy product, Alex Scott, had doubled the advantage, Bell struck again early in the second half, brilliantly controlling a George Tanner cross before firing home.
Afterwards Bell’s first thoughts were of dad.
“I was in the garden with him, kicking a football or smashing a plastic golf ball around from as early as I can remember,” he said.
“My first memory of being on the Ashton Gate pitch was when I was about three, holding my dad’s hand as a mascot before one of his last appearances for City and being scared by the noise of the crowd.
Career
“He has been such a big influence on my career, never putting too much pressure on me and encouraging me to be strong with both feet.
“Antoine’s departure was sad in a lot of ways, but he is now at top level where he deserves to be and it has created an opportunity for me.
“Hopefully, I can fill the space he has left. Our Academy is proving very productive, largely because there is a pathway for youngsters and if you do well at one level you quickly get moved up to the next.
“That means you are constantly tested against bigger and better players, so you are better prepared when a first team chance comes.”