SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid will keep the name of his new penalty-taker a secret until the next spot-kick award.

But there was no shortage of volunteers to take over from ace striker Kevin Phillips in the final training session before today's FA Cup third round home tie against West Bromwich Albion.

Eight-goal Phillips, who has now gone six games without scoring, announced after his third penalty miss of the season against Aston Villa on New Year's Day that he was prepared to let someone else take over the responsibility.

With the Whitburn training grounds snowbound, Reid conducted his final work-out at the Stadium of Light, which benefits from under-soil heating. And when he asked who would like to take over the role of penalty-kicker he was delighted with the response.

Reid said: "We have got a new penalty taker but I would rather not mention his name. Let's just hope we get a penalty against West Brom and he will take it.

"I am getting used to penalty misses as a manager - five years ago I think we missed seven on the trot. I know we missed two in one game at Crystal Palace.

"Hopefully the next time we get a penalty we will stick it in the back of the net.

"We trained at the Stadium and we got a few volunteers to do the job. When it comes to deciding you get a feel about these things. It will be a committee decision!"

Reid would have been happy to allow Phillips to continue to take penalties, and he was as surprised as anyone about the England international's decision to stand down.

He said: "Kevin Phillips has been absolutely fantastic and the biggest thing about him is that if you look at the opportunities which come his way if he gets the chance to shoot he never passes it by. He always pulls the trigger and sooner or later they will go in. That's the beauty of the boy."

Reid will welcome back striker Danny Dichio, who left last month to join West Brom for £1.25m after a successful loan period.

"He did a terrific job while he was here, especially when Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips were out for a spell.

"He and Jason Roberts will be a threat. West Brom are a powerful side and while we want to pass the ball well we will have to win the physical battles as well.

"Danny's record here was good and it must have been frustrating for him when Kevin and Niall kept playing, but he never moaned about it.

"In an ideal world he would have still been here, but his wife couldn't settle up here and wanted to move.

"But he will always be welcome back here. He did a good job for us and was a smashing pro and a smashing lad."

Reid is desperate to give the Sunderland fans a good run in a competition he firmly believes is the best in the world.

He said: "Last year's final at Cardiff was fantastic and every club is five games away from that.

"This club is synonymous with the FA Cup, especially with what happened in 1973. I can remember as a young apprentice at Bolton egging on Sunderland in the final against Leeds because they were the underdogs.

"It was a fantastic result and I would love a Cup run for our supporters.

"But I expect a very difficult tie against West Brom - while I have been here we have come unstuck against First Division clubs."

Sunderland go into the game without skipper Michael Gray, who has a hamstring injury, central defender Emerson Thome (knee) and Claudio Reyna (ankle). Jody Craddock is likely to come into the heart of defence, with the promising left back George McCartney taking over from Gray, while Paul Thirlwell is expected to fill the vacancy in the centre of midfield.

*Elsewhere in the FA Cup Canvey Island will take aim at another Nationwide League scalp when they face Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Ryman League leaders beat Wigan and Northampton in the two previous rounds and will be fired-up for this match against Stan Ternent's Division One high-fliers.

Meanwhile debt-ridden York face Grimsby at Blundell Park, knowing victory and a draw against a top Premiership side in the next round could help their parlous financial state.

Striker Lee Nogan said: ''It would be great if we could get through and get Manchester United or Liverpool in the next round.''

Scunthorpe manager Brian Laws has been dabbling in mind games before the game at Millwall, claiming all the pressure is on the First Division side.

''We're relaxed going into the game; we're under no pressure at all,'' said Laws, whose side are ninth in Division Three

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