West Brom eased into the FA Cup fourth round after exploiting Coca-Cola Championship rivals Leeds' defensive frailties at The Hawthorns.

First-half strikes from Paul McShane and John Hartson put the Baggies on course for their sixth consecutive home victory.

And Kevin Phillips struck with seven minutes remaining to ensure Dennis Wise's struggling side are left to focus solely on their battle to avoid the drop.

The visitors managed to get on the scoresheet in the second minute of stoppage time courtesy of a Paul Robinson own goal, but the damage had been done.

Albion bossed the early exchanges and they went ahead with their first notable attack after only seven minutes.

Robbie Elliott was well positioned to head Jason Koumas left-wing cross over the crossbar, but the visitors' defence failed to deal with Neil Clement's right-wing corner and McShane fired home the loose ball with a venomous right-footed finish.

United's defence looked decidedly vulnerable and they were two goals down seven minutes later when a long kick from Russell Hoult sailed over the heads of the Leeds central defenders and Hartson tucked the ball past the advancing Neil Sullivan.

The Welsh striker should have made it 3-0 shortly afterwards, but headed another Clement corner wide of the far post.

Leeds started to show some attacking threat midway through the half and Robbie Blake shot straight at Hoult 25 minutes in.

Then Hartson met Jonathan Greening's superb cross with a powerful downward header which forced Sullivan into a fine save.

Blake was Leeds' most dangerous attacker and he turned his marker inside out before forcing Hoult into a sharp stop and the former Derby goalkeeper kept out a 25-yard drive from United skipper Kevin Nicholls moments later.

Dennis Wise made a bold triple substitution at the break, with new signings Tore Andre Flo and Armando Sa entering the fray along with Shaun Derry at the expense of Jonathan Howson, Ian Moore and Matt Heath.

The visitors started the second half more positively than they had the opening 45 minutes and after some neat approach work David Healy sped away down the right channel, but his cross flashed across the face of the goal.

Diomansy Kamara and Koumas were a constant menace to the Leeds full-backs, with Kamara's pace causing Elliott all sorts of problems.

Former Chelsea striker Flo showed superb awareness to feed Healy 58 minutes in, but the Northern Ireland international tried one trick too many and was foiled by a retreating Albion defender.

The home side almost put the tie beyond doubt after 63 minutes when Richard Chaplow was put through on goal by an intelligent flick from Hartson, but Sullivan kept the former Burnley midfielder's disappointing right-footed finish out well with his feet.

Then McShane easily beat Elliott on the right and his cut back fell kindly for Kamara, whose powerful right-footed strike struck the bar and went out for a goal-kick.

Flo made an impressive impact with some intelligent running off the ball, but was hampered by a lack of pace after being sent clear down the right channel and the impressive Robinson made two superb last-ditch challenges to deny him.

Then Eddie Lewis skipped past his marker and provided a pinpoint cross for Derry, who headed straight at Hoult from eight yards out.

Leeds' best chance of the game came with 10 minutes remaining. Lewis supplied a superb cross, but the unmarked Flo was denied by a magnificent save from Hoult from point-blank range.

Two minutes later Koumas used his pace to get to the byline and Phillips rolled his cut back into the empty net.

New signing Robert Koren, an 82nd-minute substitute, almost added a fourth in the final minutes, before Robinson sliced the ball into his own net following a goalmouth scramble.

Teams:

West Brom Hoult, McShane, Davies, Clement, Robinson,Kamara (Koren 82), Greening, Chaplow (Carter 81), Koumas,Hartson, Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Gera, Hodgkiss.

Booked: Hartson.

Goals: McShane 6, Hartson 15, Phillips 82.

Leeds Sullivan, Rui Marques, Foxe, Heath (Armando Sa 46),Elliott, Blake, Howson (Derry 46), Nicholls, Lewis, Healy,Moore (Flo 46).

Subs Not Used: Westlake, Lund.

Booked: Foxe, Elliott.

Goals: Robinson 90 og.

Att: 16,957

Ref: N Miller (Co Durham).