CHERRIES will be hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup for the first time in their history when they host West Bromwich Albion tomorrow.

A 3-0 victory over Cardiff last month saw the Dorset club book a place in the fourth round for only the third time – and ended a 51-year wait to progress to the last 16.

Co-incidentally, Cherries first reached the fourth round in 1961 having registered a 3-0 win over Cardiff thanks to goals from Ray Bumstead, Billy Coxon and Dickie Dowsett.

But Bill McGarry’s team exited at the next hurdle following a 1-0 defeat at York City before being pipped for promotion from Division Three by Grimsby Town.

Having seen off opposition from the division above in the shape of Newcastle in 1963, Cherries were handed a trip to top-flight Stoke City in the fourth round.

And although Denis Coughlin was on target, Reg Flewin’s men were beaten 2-1 at the Victoria Ground in the first competitive meeting between the clubs.

A dismal run in the competition then saw them reach the third round only once in the next 23 seasons – in 1969-70 when they lost 2-0 at home to Leicester.

Despite playing seven games in the competition in 1974-75, Cherries were eventually knocked out by Hartlepool in a third replay in the second round having needed two replays to see off Gillingham.

Their poor record of failing to reach the third round ended in 1987-88 when victory over Southampton over two legs set up a trip to Arsenal, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat.

Cherries also made the third round and lost in 1989-90 (Sunderland), 1998-99 (Barnsley), 1999-00 (West Ham) and 2004-05 (Cardiff).

Harry Arter and Marc Pugh both played the last time Cherries met West Brom in the competition when they lost 4-1 in the second round at Dean Court in August 2011, while Brett Pitman came off the bench in a 1-0 defeat at the Hawthorns in a first round tie in 2007.

The Baggies won the last League Cup final to be staged over two legs, beating West Ham 5-3 on aggregate in 1966, and were also runners-up in 1967 and 1970.

There is no prize money in the competition until the semi-finals and tomorrow’s tie must be decided on the night, either over 90 minutes, during extra-time or on penalties.