Match report: Danks for the memory!

But try telling that to scorer Mark Danks.

The 18-year-old nodded into an open goal after a speculative shot from Claus Jorgensen cannoned back off the underside of the West Brom bar. It made no difference to the result but it was a particularly sweet moment for the teenager.

Danks, who hails from the Black Country, revealed: "Four or five of my friends are West Brom season-ticket holders including my uncle so obviously that made it a bit special for me.

"I've been living up in Bradford for the last two months and not been able to see too many people back home. So I always hoped to enjoy this weekend and scoring at the Hawthorns in the FA Cup is even better."

The arrival of Danks early in the second half finally gave the Bantams that attacking spark that had been so obviously lacking.

With Andy Tod ruled out by the club's "cash-flow problems", Andy Gray was pretty much left to fend for himself. Juanjo was brought back to cover for Tod but never featured and the biggest surprise was that Nicky Law persisted with the Spaniard as long as the 55th minute.

Then Danks was given the longest of his four run-outs from the bench and once again gave a glimpse of a potential talent. Regular reserve-watchers will know the kid has a good eye for goal and a first effort at the top level won't do him any harm in the long run.

Law said: "Mark got a typical poacher's goal, it hit the bar and dropped nicely to him. But I thought he did well because he was up against three big centre halves and he's not the biggest himself.

"He put himself in the firing line and that was sadly lacking for 50 minutes in the game."

Danks, picked up from the third year of a scholarship at Wolves, is clearly enjoying the chance to impress. And with City so short of front men, the opportunities could keep coming.

He added: "When Wolves let me go it wasn't under the best of circumstances but everything has turned round for me in the last two months.

"I've been training with the first team since I got up here and the manager has thrown me in at the deep end off the bench several times.

"On Saturday he told me to go out and give them a problem. He said to get the ball at my feet and try to do something more for my benefit - and I think scoring a goal will certainly help.

"We've got Ashley Ward and Danny Cadamarteri out and my aim while they aren't playing is to show that I am worth a chance. I wouldn't say I can get in front of them because they are established players, but as long as I do well then if there needs to be changes hopefully I won't be overlooked."

Maybe it would have been different if Law had thrown in Danks from the start. Because West Brom were starting to rock for a few frantic moments after he had cut City's deficit to two. Defender Mark Bower said: "When we scored it looked as if they were panicking. Their manager was going spare on the sidelines and a few of their players were having a go at each other."

Unfortunately the real damage had been done well before. West Brom had effectively placed their ball in today's draw by the 19th minute.

By then it was 3-0 to the Baggies and Danny Dichio and City's hopes of a much-needed earner from an FA Cup run had been boing, boinged over the horizon.

Dichio had netted only three all season before facing the Bantams yet he doubled that meagre tally before the first half had reached its midway point.

City struggled to get to grips with West Brom's wing-back system and paid the price for giving up space on both flanks.

The opening goal came from the right. Adam Chambers beat Wayne Jacobs and whipped in a delicious pass which eluded the first aerial duel before zeroing in straight on Dichio's bonce. He wasn't going to miss a free header from six yards.

Then West Brom attacked from the other wing with the same success. Ronnie Wallwork nipped away from Gus Uhlenbeek and set up Dichio for a glancing effort across Aidan Davison.

West Brom may not be a Premiership side for much longer but the crosses oozed top-flight quality.

Bower admitted: "They were finding space to put balls in the box and we couldn't defend against those. Strikers get half a yard on defenders every week in our league but you don't always get the quality of cross to put it right on his head."

The combination of Dichio and Jason Roberts continued to pull City all over the place and they soon linked up for number three.

Roberts burrowed to the heart of the defence, sucking in three opponents like moths drawn to a flame. The pass was slipped out to his right where Dichio nipped past Jacobs, appealing vainly for offside, before beating Davison for a third time.

The home fans were rubbing their eyes. After week after week of desperate defending against the Premiership's finest, they had scored three for the first time all season.

Their change of fortune was mirrored by City who had arrived in the midlands on the back of three wins in four. Suddenly they were disappearing without trace.

Gary Megson helped stem the tide at half-time when he decided to rest Roberts, although substitute Scott Dobie missed a sitter to make it four after another dangerous centre from Chambers.

But West Brom took their foot off the gas and the Bantams began to play most of the football with Michael Standing always looking for the ball and trying to dictate the action.

Law said: "Take Dichio and Roberts and put them in our team and we would have won it. When we had the ball I thought we were the better side.

"We lost the game on two crosses that we failed to defend. Take that away from it and there was nothing between the two teams."