Gum lover Mowbray is chewed up about the Cup

Mowbray hails from the Steve Coppell school of post-match analysis, where the thrill of the football is soon extinguished by his gloomy outlook.

Championship leaders Albion coasted into the last 16, taking their goal tally to 73 in 34 games for the season. Happy days at the Hawthorns, you might think, but Mowbray grumbled: 'Realistically, we're not going to win the FA Cup. You can ask the question, is it a benefit for us to be in it or not?

'The supporters enjoy it. Maybe the directors enjoy the fact that you could draw Man United away in the next round and earn a few quid. I'm not sure we need a few quid.

'We are striving for the big goal really, that's getting to the Premier League. Let's hope the Cup doesn't get in the way.'

Perhaps it was just the wine gums talking. Mowbray knocked back a couple of packs as he reflected on his team's fourth round win.

'When I played, there wasn't this great urgency to get to the Premier League and remain there,' said the Albion boss. 'So the FA Cup was a massive competition in everybody's mind. It was one of the trophies you could win. But the money involved in the Premier League has slightly diminished the importance.'

Ignore the downbeat hero. Mowbray has built a team with a desire to entertain. They pass the ball and attack in numbers. They will be a worthy addition to the Premier League if they go up and the five-time FA Cup winners are still on the Wembley trail.

Roman Bednar and Robert Koren put them two up inside 15 minutes and Kevin Phillips quashed Posh's comeback with a 58th-minute penalty after Craig Morgan had been sent off for tripping Jonathan Greening in front of goal.

Phillips started on the bench, with tomorrow's game at Preston in mind, but came on to score his 17th of the season. 'It's great to play in a team that creates chances,' said the 34-year-old former England striker who is out of contract at the end of the season but is in talks about an extension.

'If you miss one you don't get your head down because another will come along pretty quickly. I haven't had that for a few years.'

Peterborough failed to rise to the occasion. They defended dreadfully for the first half hour and the visitors were too powerful. Boss Darren Ferguson revved up the hairdryer but the match was out of reach.

'The manager wasn't happy at all at half-time,' confessed 23-goal striker Aaron McLean. 'That's the craziest I've seen him. Not far from the hairdryer treatment. He was upset with the defending. If you concede goals like we did you can't expect to win games.'

Like Mowbray, Ferguson has other priorities starting with tomorrow's promotion clash against Rotherham, managed by his old Manchester United pal Mark Robins.

PETERBOROUGH (4-4-2): Lewis 6; Newton 5, Morgan 5, Charnock 5, Day 5; Whelpdale 6, Keates 5 (Mitchell 76min), Lee 6, Boyd 6; McLean 5, Mackail-Smith 5. Booked: Lee. Sent off: Morgan.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely 7; Hoefkens 7, Albrechtsen 7, Cesar 7, Robinson 7; Morrison 7, Greening 8 (Brunt 64, 7), Koren 7, Teixeira 6; Bednar 7 (Phillips 46, 7), Beattie 7 (Macdonald 78). Booked: Hoefkens, Beattie.

Man of the match: Jonathan Greening.

Referee: Jonathan Moss.