Yeovil Town exited the second round of the Capital One Cup losing by four goals to two at the hands of Premier League side West Bromwich Albion at Huish Park tonight.

In a rip roaring game played in a fantastic atmosphere, Reuben Reid gave Yeovil the lead against his old side but Albion hit back with a thirty yard screamer from Chris Brunt and added a second right on half time through Shane Long. Reid then equalised but two late goals from Craig Dawson and Long again saw the Baggies home as the game ended in driving rain.

Gary Johnson unsurprisingly kept the same starting eleven that won 4-0 in the league at Scunthorpe on Saturday but added Rohan Ince to the subs bench after the Chelsea loanee’s return from injury.

The game began in frantic fashion with both sides creating chance after chance in a match that oozed excitement every time either side broke forward. Gabriel Tamas volleyed over from the Baggies first corner and at the other end, Boaz Myhill in the West Brom goal tipped a Byron Webster header away for a corner.

Chris Brunt, the best man on the pitch for either side all game, was worrying the Glovers backline with his inswinging corner deliveries and Zoltan Gera volleyed over from another set piece on eleven minutes.

Three minutes later Yeovil took the lead. Ed Upson swung a free kick in from the left and Reuben Reid met it perfectly with a glancing header into the corner of the net. It was a sweet moment for the 24-year-old striker who played just seven games in eighteen months while at The Hawthorns.

Tamas went down in the penalty box claiming a penalty and was injured in the tackle but ref Darren Sheldrake gave nothing and as Yeovil broke away, Yassine El Ghanassy cynically brought down Keanu Marsh-Brown but escaped punishment.

The Baggies forced three quick corners in succession as they controlled things in the middle of the park through the industry and quality of Brunt. Luke Ayling twice saved Yeovil with flying headers defending his own net brilliantly and denying the Baggies any advantage. But neither Ayling or Marek Stech could do anything on 28 minutes when Markus Rosenberg’s shot took a deflection and rebounded off the post for a corner.

James Hayter then went close with a header and a shot around the half hour mark and his counterpart in the visitors side, Shane Long, also headed over. The pressure was mounting though especially through free kicks and corners but when the goal came, it was from open play and a beauty. Chris Brunt lined up a sight of goal from thirty yards out and let fly with a screamer that Stech did well to get his hands to but couldn’t stop from going in.

Stech denied Rosenberg with a diving save but it was soon 2-1 to Steve Clarke’s men as the game entered first half stoppage time. Brunt’s corner was swung in but Stech dropped the claimed ball and Shane Long stabbed in to give his side the interval advantage.

Yeovil needed to get off to a good start in the second half and they did precisely that. Jamie McAllister set Sam Foley away down the left and his inch perfect centre was met by Reid with a header into the net.

The game stepped up a gear if it was possible and was quickly turning into one of the best cup ties seen at Huish Park in many years with no sign of the two division gap apparent to the 6,000 fans present. Stech denied Brunt while Reid, now on fire, curled a shot that Myhill had to dive to save then headed at the keeper when well placed, Myhill again doing well.

Long then was denied brilliantly by Stech diving to save from the Eire international forward and Richard Hinds blocked on the line from the follow up shot as the Glovers goal began to lead a somewhat charmed life. El Ghanassy headed wide, then crossed across the face of goal but no one could meet the tempting centre.

Foley volleyed wide as the game continued to open up but the decisive third goal that knocked the stuffing out of the home support and team came in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. The ball was cleared out of the box after a corner and Craig Dawson fired in a shot that deflected off someone and shot into the net.

It was harsh on the home side playing some great one touch football and looking dangerous on the attack. Gary Johnson made a triple change bringing on Rohan Ince, Gozie Ugwu and Lewis Young for Hayter, Reid and Dominic Blizzard but five minutes later, it was 4-2 to the Baggies. After the first initial shot from a West Brom attacker had been blocked, the ball found Long who fired home his second to cap the victory.

To their credit, it looked like Yeovil were running a little on empty by now and if anyone was likely to score next, it was West Brom who showed their class in the final ten minutes of play. Brunt had the final chance slicing a shot well wide as he attempted to replicate his earlier long range goal.