Ten-man Baggies battled their way to a hard-earned victory over Derby County at Pride Park on Wednesday evening, a result that sent Albion to the top of the Championship after six games.
Aune Heggebø’s first-half strike proved the difference, but Albion were forced to do it the hard way after debutant Brayann Pereira was sent off before the break.
The Baggies grabbed the breakthrough in the 16th minute when Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s low delivery was turned home by Heggebø at the near post, giving James Morrison’s side the advantage despite Derby enjoying the brighter start.
However, the complexion of the contest changed when Pereira’s Albion debut came to a premature end. Having already been booked, the defender was shown a second yellow following a challenge on Charlie Taylor, reducing the visitors to ten men in the 34th minute.
That left Albion facing more than an hour with a numerical disadvantage, but Morrison’s men responded superbly. Derby piled on the pressure, particularly after the interval, yet the Baggies defended their penalty area with determination and restricted the hosts to relatively few clear-cut opportunities.
Lars-Jørgen Salvesen passed up one of Derby’s best chances when he headed over, while Albion survived a frantic goalmouth scramble in the dying seconds, with Nat Phillips making a crucial intervention as the visitors desperately protected their slender advantage.
The final whistle sparked celebrations among the travelling Baggies support, with Albion’s resilience rewarded by three points and top spot in the Championship.
It was an evening Pereira will want to forget after seeing red on his debut, but one his new teammates will remember for the character and defensive resolve they showed to ensure Heggebø’s goal was enough to secure a memorable victory on the road.
Derby County 0-1 West Brom
Goalscorer for West Brom: Aune Heggebo
What an evening at Pride Park.
For me, this victory felt like it had been a long time coming. Albion had not won a league game away at Derby County since 2003, and it was the first time I had personally witnessed the Baggies win there.
My previous visits had brought very different memories. I had seen us lose at Pride Park during Wayne Rooney’s time in charge of Derby, when the Rams were battling through their well-documented financial problems, and I had also watched Albion come away empty-handed during the Valérien Ismaël and Steve Bruce eras.
This time, finally, it was our night.
And we certainly didn’t make it easy for ourselves.
Suddenly, with around two-thirds of the match still to play, Albion had to protect a one-goal advantage with ten men.
What followed was a brilliant display of determination, organisation and togetherness. Derby inevitably threw more and more at us, particularly during the second half, but Albion defended the box superbly. Every cross seemed to be met by a Baggies head, every loose ball was fought for and everyone played their part in protecting the lead.
Then came those agonising final seconds.
The final whistle brought a mixture of celebration and relief.
After all those previous disappointing journeys to Derby, I had finally seen Albion win at Pride Park — and what a way to do it.
Ten men. More than an hour defending a slender lead. A first league victory there since 2003. And, to top it all off, three points which sent the Baggies to the top of the Championship after six games.
The final whistle brought a mixture of celebration and relief.
But the evening had also left James Morrison with quite a problem ahead of the next game.
Pereira would be suspended following his red card, while his replacement Nolan Galves had also been forced off with a knee injury. Morrison admitted afterwards that the injury “doesn’t look good”.
So, after all the celebrations at Pride Park, there was one rather important question to answer before QPR arrived at The Hawthorns:
Who on earth was going to play at right-back?