Chris Mepham (right) turns away to celebrate his equaliser for West Bromwich Albion against DerbyPA Media

Chris Mepham's goal at Derby was his first for West Brom

Andrew Aloia
BBC Sport, East Midlands

Chris Mepham scored a 95th-minute equaliser at Derby to ensure West Bromwich Albion avoided equalling a club-record 11th straight league defeat on the road.

Before the defender salvaged a point in stoppage time, the visitors were seemingly on their way to matching a miserable run that dated back more than 134 years.

It was a fumble from debutant Baggies goalkeeper Max O'Leary that allowed Derby striker Patrick Agyemang to prod the hosts ahead in the first half with a goal that, until the late drama, appeared to be sending the Rams into the Championship play-off places.

But Mepham forced home a header from a corner to deny the home side and earn boss Eric Ramsay his first point as West Brom boss after back-to-back defeats to start his tenure.

Patrick Agyemang (right) prods his goal home for Derby as West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Max O'Leary spreads himself wide among a scrum of bodies to try and make a savePA Media

Patrick Agyemang (right) bundled home his eighth goal of the season for Derby in the draw with West Brom

When West Brom last won away from home this season, victory at Norwich City on 1 October put them fourth in the table under Ryan Mason.

The dismal run that followed – which was headlined by 10 defeats away from home - cost Mason his job in early January, leaving his replacement Ramsay faced with the prospect of overseeing a record-equalling league defeat in what was his first match away from home.

Both sides made five changes for the game, with goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom among those coming in for the Rams after illness ruled him out of Tuesday's win at Charlton.

The Baggies' 5-0 home thrashing by Norwich the same night prompted an overhaul for the trip across the Midlands, which included O'Leary being given his debut in goal just a day after joining from Bristol City.

It would become a forgettable first appearance from the 29-year-old, whose failure to deal with a free-kick from Callum Elder saw him drop the ball in front of United States international Agyemang to pounce on.

The 44th-minute goal came from Derby's only effort on goal of an underwhelming first half in which Jayson Molumby tested Zetterstrom at the other end before George Campbell crashed a header just wide.

Both sides carved out opportunities inside the 90 minutes, with the best of them put well wide by Derby's Ben Brereton Diaz after linking up with Agyemang on a quick counter attack.

West Brom piled forward in search of an equaliser, and it was an effort from Josh Maja that squirmed just wide in stoppage time that eventually led to the leveller.

From the ensuing corner, Mepham's header at the back post proved too powerful for Zetterstrom to stop from crossing the line.

While West Brom managed to ease their woes away from home by collecting a much-needed point at Pride Park, the trip may prove costly after Karlan Grant went off early with an apparent hamstring injury while Krystian Bielik's night was ended by a shoulder problem.

Rams 'disappointment' and Baggies 'right wrongs' - reaction

John Eustace post-West Bromwich Albion (H)

Derby County boss John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

"It's really disappointing to concede in the last minute, I thought the lads battled and worked their socks off tonight.

"Obviously, it's been a really difficult week and to get seven points out of the week is pleasing. But to be two minutes off getting nine points is of course disappointing.

"We also have to put things into context and I don't think we played particularly well tonight. We looked very leggy, we were up against a really difficult team who sat in and made it difficult for us to play. And that is probably where we needed that little bit more sharpness.

"Still, we found a way to score and in the second half we did look like a threat on the transition on a couple of occasions.

"The efforts the boys have put in for these past three games this week has been sensational, and unfortunately we just couldn't see it through in the end."

Ramsay: 'We ultimately deserved what we got'

West Bromwich Albion head coach Eric Ramsay told BBC Radio WM:

"We ultimately deserved what we got. I felt it was a controlled performance and the exact performance we needed tonight.

"It wasn't spectacular, but it put right a lot of the wrongs from the previous game.

"We wanted control defensively and we restricted the opposition, were very strong in that department, and carried our own threat.

"I can see very clearly how this team will and needs to be competitive, and that was the start point."

Player of the match

P. Agyemang
6.86
7 P. Agyemang
6.86
1 J. Widell Zetterström
6.22
4 D. Batth
6.13
6 S. Langås
5.95
23 J. Ward
5.39
20 C. Elder
5.35
42 B. Clark
5.31
29 O. Fraulo
5.27
18 D. Ozoh
5.25
16 L. Thompson
5.21
25 B. Brereton
5.06
27 L. Travis
4.95
28 D. Sanderson
4.88
11 C. Blackett-Taylor
4.67
10 R. Brewster
4.19
15 L. Salvesen
4.00
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