FA CUP hopefuls Blackburn are optimistic their fans will turn out in force tonight to help guide them to a glamour tie at Liverpool in the fourth round.

The Cup has so far attracted some disappointing crowds at the big grounds, with the timing of the third-round fixtures coming under fire.

Playing replays and re-scheduled games in the week before Christmas has hit fans in the pocket and only 5,734 turned up to see Bolton beat Cardiff City last night.

But Rovers are hoping for double that figure at Ewood Park when Tony Parkes' men will be bidding to see off West Bromwich Albion at the second attempt and book a trip to Anfield for a televised tie in the New Year.

"We sold 800 tickets yesterday and in our pre-match brief we were looking at between 10-12,000.

"If you look at the third-round FA Cup gates it would be good to get into five-figures. We are hoping for over 10,000," confirmed Rovers chief executive John Williams.

Rovers are looking to bounce back from their first defeat in nine games after Parkes' unbeaten record ended at Sheffield United on Sunday.

"It was disappointing," he admitted. "It had to happen but you sometimes hope it's going to happen a bit later down the road.

"We were very disappointed about the whole aspect of the game but we're over that now and we're into the next game.

"It will be a feeling I'll repeat a few times, that's obvious. Managers all lose games. It isn't a nice feeling but we've got to try make sure we bounce back tonight." A play-off challenge remains the priority but Rovers are still desperate to make progress in the Cup with a trip to Liverpool in the last 32 offering a great incentive.

Parkes added: "It's a good game. We have lads here who have played for Liverpool and it's a big game for the fans to go to Liverpool. But until we get over tonight's hurdle that's a distant thought.

"We want a cup run, we want to keep winning because that breeds a bit of confidence in the players and it's no different tonight.

"We created some good opportunities down there but it will be tough game no doubt and we will have to play well to get a result.

"We are a First Division club and the FA Cup is a very important competition to us. I think I mentioned it when we went to West Brom.

"The owner certainly is very keen to see the club get to Wembley and as far as we are concerned, the FA Cup is the biggest cup competition that we can enter and we take it seriously and we hope to progress."

Darren Peacock is again ruled out with flu, while Simon Grayson and Matt Jansen will require late checks after also feeling under the weather.

Rovers from: Kelly, Grayson, Harkness, Dailly, Taylor, McAteer, Frandsen, Carsley, Blake, Ward, Duff, Ostenstad, Davidson, Jansen, Kenna, Filan (gk).

West Brom are a club in crisis and their off-the-field problems, which saw chairman Tony Hale quit last week and manager Brian Little air his concerns following the sale of Kevin Kilbane to Sunderland, have been exacerbated by injury, illness and suspension. Larus Sigurdsson and Daryl Burgess are both suspended and Paul Raven has flu, which will leave Matt Carbon as the only recognised central defender if Raven doesn't recover.

Midfielder Enzo Maresca is also ill, Andy Townsend is doubtful and James Quinn is struggling to shake off a groin strain he sustained in Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Ipswich.

In addition, reserve goalkeeper Chris Adamson is also banned which will mean a call-up for 18-year-old Northern Ireland youth international Elliott Morris.

The Baggies today appointed long-serving director Joe Brandrick as the club's acting chairman after suffering a fresh setback when Jim Driscoll resigned from his position on the board as a non-executive director.

And Little, who was likely to hold a roll-call before travelling up the M6, is still thought to be seeking assurances about what finances are available to spend on the team as the boardroom unrest goes on.

He said: "I just want someone to be honest with me after what has happened over the last few months.

"The quicker that things are sorted out and we can get a game-plan, the better."

West Brom from: Miller, Gabbidon, Carbon, Raven, Van Blerk, Quinn, Sneekes, Maresca, Evans, Hughes, Angel, McDermott, DeFreitas, Iezzi, Perry, Blake, Morris (gk).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.