Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of this afternoon's FA Cup fifth-round clash between West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United at The Hawthorns. This match sees two Premier League sides going head to head, and it could be a cracker. Team news will be through shortly.

There's still a real buzz when it comes to FA Cup weekend, there's no denying it. While the last round of the competition saw some big names knocked out, there are still some very good sides still in it. However, with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City out, teams such as West Brom and West Ham will be thinking that they have a genuine chance of lifting the trophy at the end of the season.

WEST HAM: Adrian; Jenkinson, Tomkins, Kouyate, Cresswell; Song, Noble, Nolan, Downing; Sakho, Valencia

WEST HAM SUBS: Jaaskelainen, Demel, O'Brien, Henry, Amalfitano, Lee, Cole

Following their gallant 0-0 draw at Southampton in midweek, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has made two chances to his starting XI today. Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan are welcomed back in midfield, while Morgan Amalfitano and Carlton Cole are the men who drop to the bench. As has been well-documented during the past 24 hours, Andy Carroll does not feature because he's expected to miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

WEST BROM: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Lescott; Brunt, Gardner, Yacob, Morrison, Sessegnon; Berahino, Ideye

WEST BROM SUBS: Myhill; Baird, Olsson, McManaman, Pocognoli, Gamboa, Wisdom

After an important 2-0 win over Swansea City on Wednesday, Baggies manager Tony Pulis has also made two changes for this afternoon's encounter. Craig Gardner and Stephane Sessegnon are both recalled, while Callum McManaman and Darren Fletcher make way. McManaman is forced to settle for a place among the subs, but Fletcher misses out altogether because he's cup-tied.

West Brom manager Tony Pulis: "[West Ham] move the ball back through midfield and up to their strikers and play some good football. They have some outstanding players. Stewart Downing is having an outstanding season and has really made them tick.

"We know how tough it will be. When the draw was made it was lovely to play at home but we knew West Ham would be one of the toughest games."

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "This is a big game for us both. Both teams will be trying their hardest to get through to the next round.

"From a fans' point of view, the FA Cup is absolutely terrific. In the early stages, Premier League and Championship clubs use squad rotation. Then, when you get to latter stages, it becomes a very important competition.

"For us, we are safe in the league. The FA Cup has always been a main focus, to see how far we can go, ever since we first played Everton in the third round. We have got a big task on our hands on the basis that winning away from home is always very difficult."

West Brom's passage through to the fifth round of the FA Cup has been relatively routine. They started their campaign with a comprehensive 7-0 thrashing at home to lowly Gateshead before seeing off Midlands rivals Birmingham City 2-1 at St Andrew's. Tony Pulis would probably have wanted to avoid a fellow Premier League side at this stage of the competition, though he can be happy with a home draw.

West Ham's campaign hasn't been quite as straightforward as today's opponents, but they will certainly be fancying their chances of making it through to the quarter-finals. The Hammers defeated Everton 9-8 on penalties in their third-round replay before squeezing past Bristol City 1-0 at Ashton Gate. There was then a furore involving match-winner Diafra Sakho's eligibility, only for the club to get away with a fine after intervention from FIFA.

7 - Saido Berahino has four goals and three assists in two FA Cup appearances this season. Specialist. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 14, 2015

How important will the man mentioned in the tweet below be today? Said Berahino has been in the spotlight in the past few weeks, and it could be said that he has a point to prove today after spending time on what manager Tony Pulis called the "naughty chair". He came back into the team in midweek to score against Swansea City, but many fans will feel like has has plenty more to do before he is back onside with them.

And who should West Brom look out for in the West Ham starting lineup? Well, Stewart Downing has earned plenty of plaudits this season after adopting a more central role in the Hammers' midfield. He's certainly been more effective when he's been just behind the strikers, threading ball through to the likes of Valencia and Sakho.

HEAD TO HEAD: It's West Brom who just about edge it when it comes to past meetings between these teams with 34 wins compared to 22 for West Ham. Meanwhile, there have been a total of 16 draws.

The two sides have already played each other twice in the Premier League this season, with West Ham dominating thanks to four points from six on offer. The Hammers earned a 2-1 victory at The Hawthorns back in December before drawing 1-1 at Upton Park on New Year's Day. The FA Cup tends to make a mockery of such records, but Sam Allardyce will probably be telling his players in encouraging tones that they have not been beaten in two games by the Baggies.

PIC: The Hammers take to the pitch for their pre-match warm-up #WBAWHU pic.twitter.com/ZpI0KfJuKP — West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) February 14, 2015

It would be great to say that The Hawthorns was filling up nicely as we approach kickoff, but the crowd isn't looking all that big. Still, the West Ham have brought a healthy dose of support along with them and you'd expect them to be making lots of noise today.

Around five minutes to go until kickoff and the players are starting to emerge in the tunnel. Kevin Nolan will lead the visitors out this afternoon, while Chris Brunt regains the captain's armband for West Brom in the absence of the cup-tied Darren Fletcher. Not long now until the first game of this FA Cup fifth-round weekend gets underway.

KICKOFF! The teams are out, the pre-match handshakes have been done, and it will be West Ham to kick us off at The Hawthorns. Here we go!

It's been a fairly even start to this game, with no chances as of yet. Possession has been hard to come by for both sides as the ball pings about in midfield. Half an opening falls the way of Sessegnon in the West Ham box, but his scuffed effort is easily cleared by Tomkins.

The visitors win themselves a free kick in a good position as Noble is pulled back, but Cresswell's strike goes high over the crossbar. Downing looked to be the man to take the free kick, only for the defender to try his luck. The chance arrived after a decent spell for the Hammers.

PENALTY SHOUT! West Brom want a penalty as Morrison bobs and weaves in the box before seeing his shot fly up and hit Nolan. The ball came at the West Ham skipper very quickly, but it looked to hit his arm. However, referee Martin Atkinson is not interested.

CHANCE! West Brom come close to taking the lead as a cross from the left is met by Gardner, though the midfielder's clever volley goes the wrong side of the post. Adrian looked beaten there. This game is starting to liven up a bit.

A bit of a worry for West Ham now as Tomkins stays down following an aerial challenge for the ball. The defender landed awkwardly on his way back down to earth, but it seems as if he's going to be okay.

It's been hard for either of the teams to seize control in midfield so far. It's got a bit scrappy in central areas during the last few minutes, with both sides struggling to keep hold of the ball.

WHOOSH! West Ham win another free kick just outside of the box following a foul from Morrison. This time it's Valencia who steps up to take it, but the forward's shot flies way over the goal and into the stand behind. You would have expected him to do better there considering the position of the set piece.

First blood to West Brom as Brown Ideye scores his third goal in three games! Sessegnon pings the ball from left to right into the path of Dawson, who is marauding down the wing. The defender takes a touch before putting a low cross to the back post where Ideye is waiting to tap in.

CHANCE! The Baggies come closer to doubling their lead as Morrison takes aim with a trademark effort, but it deflects over the crossbar. The resulting corner causes a bit of havoc inside the West Ham box as Ideye goes down under a challenge, only for Martin Atkinson to wave play on. That could have been given.

3 - Brown Ideye has scored in his last three appearances for West Brom; this after scoring just two in his first 17. Bouncing.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 14, 2015

West Brom are starting to crank up the pressure on West Ham, who are just about hanging in there. The hosts are getting a lot of joy with deliveries from wide areas, with the likes of Brunt and Morrison putting some really good balls into the box. Tony Pulis will be pleased to see his side showing some adventure after going ahead.

West Brom are showing lots of fight in midfield, closing down their opponents quickly and with plenty of intensity. The Hammers are finding it hard to get into any kind of rhythm. When they do get on the ball it's hard for them to break down the home side. They need to find some magic from somewhere because Sakho and Valencia have underwhelmed so far.

The likes of Nolan and Noble are being kept very busy in midfield as the hosts continue to control the game. West Brom have so much pace in the final third with Sessegnon, Berahino and Ideye, and they're using it well.

West Brom look to make something down the right as Ideye gets the ball before trying to turn his marker, but West Ham deal with the danger. With no target man in the form of Carroll, West Ham are struggling to pose a threat up front.

OFF THE BAR! What a goal that would have been from Gardner! The midfielder takes aim from 30 yards before hitting a ferocious drive towards goal, but his strike rattles off the woodwork with Adrian beaten. So unlucky.

West Ham are passing and probing a bit more now as we head into the final five minutes of the half. However, they're still unable to get in behind the West Brom defence. Sam Allardyce is looking a bit frustrated in the dugout. Will he resort to a long-ball game if the scores stays as it is?

What a superb strike from James Morrison to double West Brom's lead! The midfielder is given loads of space around 25 yards from goal, allowing him to smash a powerful drive past the fingertips of Adrian and into the back of the net. That absolutely flew off his boot. It's a long way back for West Ham now.

The West Brom fans are buzzing in the stands and rightly so. The hosts have been by far the better side this afternoon, while West Ham have looked lifeless and lacking in ideas.

There will be TWO MINUTES of added time at the end of the half...

The half-time whistle goes, bringing the curtain down on a great opening 45 minutes for West Brom. They lead 2-0 thanks to goals from Brown Ideye and James Morrison, and they fully deserve to be ahead.

West Brom have been better in pretty much every department so far, and they could easily have been further ahead. Craig Gardner was desperately unlucky not to find the net when his sizzling drive came back off the crossbar, while the Baggies have also posed plenty of problems for West Ham with some good crosses from the flanks.

As for West Ham, it's been a disappointing afternoon so far. The Hammers have shown so much vim and viguour throughout the course of the season, but they've been dull and lacking in creativity today. An early goal after the restart could change everything, but it looks like they'll be going out of the FA Cup if they continue to play like they have done.

West Brom's first goal was well worked as Ideye rounded off an incisive move by tapping in at the back post, but it was Morrison's strike that really caught the eye. The midfielder hit the ball as sweet as a nut from 25 yards before seeing it fly past Adrian.

We could see Morgan Amalfitano come off the bench for West Ham sooner rather than later in order to give them a bit of creativity in the final third. The Hammers have been severely lacking in that department so far today, with Downing struggling to make things happen.

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! The teams are out for the second half, and it will be West Brom to get us back underway. No changes from either manager at the break.

West Ham are looking a bit livelier during these opening few minutes of the second half, though West Brom are still doing a good job of keeping their shape and discipline.

The Hammers have pumped a couple of decent balls into the West Brom box in the last couple of moments, but it's still obvious that they're in need of a big target man. Carlton Cole is on the bench and you would think that it's only a matter of time before he's introduced.

He's done it again! Ideye surely secures West Brom the win with a fine header following a swift counter-attack from the hosts. The striker misses Brunt's initial cross into the box, but he stays sharp before heading Sessegnon's cross from the right past Adrian.

WEST HAM SUB: The visitors make their first change of the day as Kevin Nolan is replaced by Morgan Amalfitano, who made 30 appearances for the Baggies last season. He gets a good reception from both fans.

We all know that this competition is capable of producing the incredible, but this game is surely done and dusted now. West Ham are yet to have a shot on target, which says plenty about their performance today. They've just been completely below par this afternoon. It would not be a surprise if Sam Allardyce gives his players a right roasting after the match.

The confidence is flowing through this West Brom side now. They're not taking their foot off the gas just yet, which is bad news for West Ham. It would not be a surprise to see the Baggies add to their tally before the end of the game.

SAVE! Almost one back for West Ham as a cross from the left is headed towards goal by Sakho, but his effort is kept out by Foster before McAuley clears. That looked to be a superb stop from the West Brom goalkeeper.

WEST HAM SUBS: The visitors make their final two changes now as Joey O'Brien and Carlton Cole take the places of Sakho and Song. One or two of the West Ham fans aren't happy with those decisions by the sound of it.

Morgan Amalfitano, you daft boy. Referee Martin Atkinson goes to book the midfielder for a clash with Brunt, but he then pushes Brunt in the face, forcing Atkinson to change the colour of the card.

It takes West Brom just two minutes to make their numerical advantage count as Saido Berahino makes it 4-0! A neat passing move on the edge of the box sees the ball threaded through for the striker, who smashes it beyond Adrian from a fairly tight angle. This is getting embarrassing for West Ham.

9 - Saido Berahino has now scored five and assisted four in three FA Cup appearances this season. Rout. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 14, 2015

The most pleasing thing from a West Brom point of view is that they're still showing so much hunger going forward. You'd have though that they'd be content so sit back and conserve their energy for the final 15 minutes or so, but they're continuing to go on the attack. It's almost 5-0 as Dawson tries his luck, only for Adrian to palm the effort away.

WEST BROM SUB: The hosts make a change now, with Sessegnon coming off for Callum McManaman. The Benin international has been excellent today, constantly running at West Ham.

CHANCE! McManaman gets involved in the action instantly, putting a decent cross in towards Berahino. However, the striker's flick towards goal is deflected over the bar. The resulting corner is then easily dealt with by the visitors.

Morrison is again given lots of space on the edge of the area, but this time he can only shoot straight at Adrian. That was poor from a West Ham perspective. There was absolutely no urgency to close him down.

BREAKING NEWS! To cut away from this game for a moment, Aston Villa have just named Tim Sherwood as their new manager.

WEST BROM SUB: Ideye exits the pitch to a standing ovation as his afternoon comes to an end. The striker has really found a new lease of life under Tony Pulis. Chris Baird replaces the summer signing.

CHANCE! So, so close to McManaman making it 5-0 as he curls an effort from the edge of the box inches wide of the top corner. That was a whisker away.

WEST BROM SUB: The home side's final change of the day sees Gardner replaced by Cristian Gamboa.

There will be THREE MINUTES of added time...

The full-time whistle goes and it's West Brom who are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup thanks to a comprehensive 4-0 win over West Ham. The Baggies were dominant throughout and fully deserve their spot in the next round. Meanwhile, West Ham will be eager to put this result behind them ahead of next weekend's trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

That's all from our live text coverage of today's game, but don't forget that you can keep up to date with all of the reaction from both teams right here on Sports Mole. Thanks for your company, we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye!