Derby County vs West Bromwich Albion. Sky Bet Championship.
Pride Park StadiumAttendance31,267.
Derby County 2
- J Yates (28th minute)
- M Holgate (68th minute own goal)
West Bromwich Albion 1
- G Diangana (81st minute)
Derby County 2-1 West Bromwich Albion: Baggies beaten in first game since Carlos Corberan's exit
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County and West Bromwich Albion at Pride Park on Boxing Day; Jerry Yates scores as the Rams win to inflict defeat on the Baggies, managerless after Carlos Corberan's exit
Thursday 26 December 2024 21:07, UK
Jerry Yates scored for the first time in six matches to help Derby earn a much-needed 2-1 victory over managerless West Brom.
The Baggies suffered a late blow before Christmas when Carlos Corberan decided to vacate his position for Valencia, which gave interim head coach Chris Brunt just one day to prepare his team for the visit to Pride Park.
Derby went into the half-time break with a deserved lead courtesy of Yates' fifth goal of the season and despite West Brom being second best throughout the half, they were denied by the woodwork on two separate occasions through Darnell Furlong and John Swift.
Mason Holgate's own goal relieved the pressure inside Pride Park but those nerves returned when Grady Diangana pulled a goal back for the visitors.
- Championship highlights | Table | Fixtures
- All you need to know - Streaming Sky Sports with NOW | Get Sky Sports
- Download the Sky Sports App to watch every Sky Sports+ game
- Live EFL on Sky Sports+ & how to watch | Get more EFL to your phone with WhatsApp
Supporters watched on in hope lightning would not strike twice, following their late implosion against Luton last week, but the Rams held on for a second win in three.
Derby dominated the early stages and Nat Phillips was allowed to chest down and power one on target, but keeper Alex Palmer got down well to keep the score goalless early on.
West Brom's first real foray forward almost ended up as a goal as Furlong got the ball out of his feet and drilled an effort off the post midway through the first period.
Derby cashed in on their dominance in the 28th minute as Yates collected a pass from Kenzo Goudmijn and aimed across Palmer with an effort which crashed off the inside of the post and into the back of the net.
West Brom were denied by the post for a second time in the half, this time Swift lining up a free-kick from 25 yards and pinging an effort past the despairing dive of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom but off the upright.
The Baggies almost levelled the game with the first bit of action after the interval but Callum Elder did well to get across and heroically block Tom Fellows' shot.
West Brom started to grow in confidence and almost equalised - Mikey Johnston's initial shot was blocked into the path of Alex Mowatt who let rip from outside the area but Widell Zetterstrom was equal to it.
Against the run of play, Derby doubled their lead. The Rams won the ball high up the field and Kayden Jackson found himself with space and decided to go for goal, but his strike bounced off Holgate and beyond the helpless Palmer.
West Brom reduced the deficit to one with just under 10 minutes to go - Fellows' tricky footwork down the right got the better of Elder and he stood the ball up to the back stick where Diangana jumped highest to make it 2-1.
Karlan Grant went close to pulling West Brom level as he danced his way into the box but Widell Zetterstrom did well to deny the forward.
The managers
Derby's Paul Warne:
"Second half when they put it on us, we hung in there and defended pretty well. Went to make changes and got enough to get over the line.
"When they got a free-kick in the last minute I thought it was Luton repeated. Everyone played a part today which is nice.
"We didn't batter them or one-way traffic, sometimes it comes down to minute details. The second goal was deflected, massive bit of luck which we deserved.
"They're a good team and were always going to come at us and for the most part we defended well. It will give the lads a boost but (we) never (get) that low when we lose and high when we win.
"The differences in the games are small but it is a boost against a good team."
West Brom's caretaker Chris Brunt:
"I think in the end we gave ourselves too much to do.
"We knew what was coming and didn't deal with it well. A couple of chances, hit the post a couple of times, then second half we spoke about what we could do better and then got hit with a sucker punch.
"Individual errors are a part of game and we won't have a go at anyone trying to do the right thing. This is a tough place to come.
"I had a phone call late afternoon Christmas Eve saying that there is a possibility. Then another one saying it's happening, we could do with your help.
"Why would you change what's gone pretty well for the majority of the season. We've been in every game so why change that? Carlos prepped a lot before he left.
"Carlos did a great job here for two years and left us in a better place than when he came in, and you can't say that often. He's not left us in a bad place and what he achieved last year, getting us to the play-offs."
