West Bromwich Albion were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton and Hove Albion in a replay on Wednesday.

Two extra time goals from Seagulls striker Glenn Murray were enough to guarantee Chris Hughton’s side a place in the last sixteen, where they will face Derby.

The Hawthorns crowd left the ground unhappy and disappointed, probably in hope of a cup run after several years without one. 

Despite this, it is a blessing in disguise for the Baggies, who can now focus solely on getting promotion. 

Darren Moore’s side are seven points off the automatic promotion spots following their loss against Middlesbrough last weekend, but the hope still remains.

Britt Assombalonga netted twice late on to destroy West Brom’s hopes of a perfect win that would’ve closed the gap on the top two, with Leeds losing later on. 

However, West Brom have games to go against most of the teams above them, and this will be where their automatic promotion chances are won and lost. 

The Baggies have a good record against those above them, most notably the 4-1 win over Leeds in 2018.

They also have a game in hand over the three teams above them, which will certainly help them in their quest. 

One eye must be spared behind them, though, with the likes of Bristol City, Derby, Birmingham, Villa, Hull, the list goes on, chasing the final play-off spot. 

However, the main thing is that the loss to Brighton in the long run will be beneficial, with Moore’s players at full fitness for the remaining games to come. 

The battle for an FA Cup run is over, but the war for automatic promotion continues.