WEST BROM squeezed past Port Vale on penalties as Richard Duffy's spot-kick miss spared their blushes.
Wantaway striker Saido Berahino was again left out as the Baggies were pushed all the way by their Sky Bet League One visitors in the Capital One Cup. Following a dire 0-0 draw after extra-time Duffy blazed his spot-kick over to send the Albion through 5-3 on penalties.
Rickie Lambert had a second-half header cleared off the line and Salomon Rondon hit the crossbar in extra-time but defeat was harsh on battling Vale. Albion had rejected a second bid from Tottenham for Berahino - which is understood to amount to £21million with a series of clauses and instalments - just hours before the game.
The forward handed in a transfer request, which was turned down, on Monday and was omitted again as Serge Gnabry, James Chester, Brown Ideye and Lambert returned for the Baggies while Vale were unchanged.
An awful first half was only punctuated by Ideye heading Lambert's cross inches wide and Jak Alnwick saving Lambert's deflected effort a minute before half-time. Hard-working Vale matched the Baggies, with their organisation stifling the hosts, but lacked the quality to threaten.
Two minutes into the second half, though, the Baggies carved out their best chance when Anthony Grant hacked Lambert's header off the line. A minute later and Alnwick turned over Lambert's drive as the former Liverpool forward's influence grew.
The second half was a marked improvement on the first and the visitors grew in confidence as the Baggies ran out of ideas. Louis Dodds dragged an effort across goal after a period of Vale pressure but Boaz Myhill remained untroubled.
Lambert's audacious 35-yard volley clipped the top of the bar and Rondon headed wide with six minutes left but no winner came in normal time. Rondon and Callum McManaman fired wide in extra-time before Rondon should have won it in the second period.
Lambert found the £12million striker 10 yards out but he lashed wildly past the post yet a worse miss followed a minute later. McManaman stood up a fine cross from the left and Rondon met it from close range but could only hit the bar.
The Baggies had suddenly woken up and Alnwick saved well from James McClean and Lambert before penalties. And Duffy was the only one to fluff his lines in the shoot-out as James Chester scored to send Albion through.
