West Bromwich Albion vs Derby County. The FA Cup Third Round.
The Hawthorns.
Saturday 7 January 2017 17:35, UK
Tom Ince scored the winner as Derby came from behind to beat West Brom 2-1 in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The winger curled in a free-kick just four minutes after Darren Bent equalised for the visitors to earn victory at The Hawthorns.
In-form Matt Phillips had given Premier League Albion the lead but the Rams hit back to beat a side in a higher division in the cup for the first time since knocking out Sheffield United in 1986.
West Brom lost to Sky Bet Championship Reading last season and they again failed to recover from going behind, with Craig Dawson coming closest to levelling after hitting the post.
Derby now have just one defeat in their last 12 games but it could have been different after they nearly gifted the Baggies an early opener.
Scott Carson presented Salomon Rondon the ball on the edge of the box but was spared by a brilliant sliding challenge from Richard Keogh, who hooked Rondon's shot off the line.
Despite the gaffe, Derby had begun the brighter but failed to threaten until the 23rd minute when Boaz Myhill, one of four Albion changes, turned Abdoul Camara's deflected cross wide.
The Rams were more energetic than Albion but lacked the quality in the final third despite some snappy build up and, as they dictated the play, the game drifted towards half-time.
But 10 minutes before the break the hosts broke the deadlock after seizing on more poor Derby defending. James McClean blocked Keogh's clearance and the ball fell to Phillips 25 yards out.
Phillips still had plenty to do but advanced and drove a low effort past Carson from the edge of the box for his fifth goal in 11 games.
Albion went for the kill and nearly scored a quickfire second when James Morrison fired over and, after the break, Gareth McAuley headed over and Rondon fired wide after robbing Jason Shackle.
But County turned the game on its head inside four second-half minutes through Bent and Ince.
First Bent, who had been quiet, was granted too much time on the edge of the area to lash past Myhill from 20 yards after 50 minutes before Ince won it.
The winger's run from his own half was halted by Morrison 25 yards out and, with the free-kick slightly to the right, Albion expected a cross.
Instead, Ince caught Myhill cold and aimed for the near post and the goalkeeper did not move as the 24-year-old curled in his ninth goal of the season.
Dawson's header hit the post as Albion tried to respond while Ince and Bent both forced Myhill into fine stops
Albion's late pressure failed to pay off but Derby relied on an excellent reflex save from Carson in injury time as he turned Rondon's header over.
