Substitute John Hartson scored an 89th-minute winner as West Brom ended their two-game losing streak with a victory over Derby at The Hawthorns. Albion enjoyed most of the possession and the best of the chances with keeper Stephen Bywater saving at the feet of Kevin Phillips in the first half.
And he touched a Diomansy Kamara shot onto the crossbar in the second.
But Bywater could not stop Hartson's shot on the turn, which was deflected in off Paul Boertien.
606 DEBATE: Share your thoughts on this encounter
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray:
"We have talked a lot about playing entertaining football but you reach a stage when you need a win. "John Hartson has had a couple of injuries and we have spent the last three weeks working on his fitness.
"He never tires of telling me why he should be in the team and he has done the business for us here."
Derby boss Billy Davies felt his side's shorter recovery period from their midweek game proved decisive:
"We have come up against a quality side in West Brom and we have given them an extra day's recovery. "West Brom have the best squad in this division while we do not have the depth of squad to make the changes we needed to keep things fresh."
West Brom: Hoult, Albrechtsen, McShane, Davies, Robinson, Gera, Greening, Quashie, Koumas (Clement 90), Phillips, Kamara (Hartson 62).
Subs Not Used: Steele, Ellington, Hodgkiss.
Booked: Kamara, Hartson.
Goals: Hartson 89.
Derby: Bywater, Edworthy, Leacock, Michael Johnson (Moore 16), Boertien, Lupoli (Peschisolido 81), Barnes, Bolder, Jones, Stead (Bisgaard 63), Howard.
Subs Not Used: Grant, Seth Johnson.
Att: 20,494
Ref: R Booth (Nottinghamshire).
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