Derby secure place in Premiership

Dmac

Derby secure place in Premiership



Stephen Pearson scored the only goal as Derby defeated West Brom to win the Championship play-off final and claim a place in next season's Premiership.

West Brom dominated large periods, with Stephen Bywater denying Diomansy Kamara, Jason Koumas and Paul Robinson, while Kevin Phillips hit the crossbar.

Dean Kiely saved a Paul Peschisolido strike and a shot from Matt Oakley.

But he could not stop Pearson converting Giles Barnes's low cross as Derby won a tight match.

The result is a triumph for Rams boss Billy Davies, who had failed in the previous two play-off campaigns with former club Preston.

But the Scot has ended his first season at Pride Park by guiding Derby back to the top flight for the first time since 2002.

The Rams had finished the regular season eight points clear of West Brom - but Tony Mowbray's Baggies played the bulk of the football in the final and can consider themselves unfortunate to have finished on the losing side.

The match had started at a cracking pace, with Derby struggling to contain West Brom's early surges.

As early as the first minute Bywater was forced into a decent diving save to thwart Kamara.

Derby's league campaign was built upon their mean defence - and proved to be the foundation for their final victory.

But an early sparkling run from Koumas threatened to unlock it completely and it took a brilliant last-ditch sliding tackle from Tyrone Mears to stop the Wales international.

Koumas was an influential figure for West Brom
The Ram spent most of the opening period trying to force their way into the contest - but they did have one excellent chance after 10 minutes.

Howard played Peschisolido into a huge gap in the centre of the West Brom back line but the 36-year-old, surprisingly recalled to the starting line-up, made a poor connection with his strike and Kiely easily saved.

A jinking run from Craig Fagan saw the Birmingham-born forward cut in from the right touchline and shot narrowly wide.

But after an open end-to-end start to the final, both teams gradually cancelled each other out.

Koumas looked the most likely to provide the missing inspiration and, after cutting inside with 40 minutes gone, drilled his strike narrowly over the crossbar.

And Phillips ensured West Brom ended the half in the ascendancy with his crisp 20-yard strike that grazed the crossbar after a flowing move opened up the Rams defence.

West Brom continued to create chances after the break - Bywater saving from Koumas and Kamara curling a free-kick over the bar.

Derby, in contrast, struggled to impose themselves on the match and Davies introduced Barnes for Peschisolido after 59 minutes.

And seconds later Derby almost scored when Oakley, who had pulled a shot wide earlier, made a brilliant contact with a Fagan cross only to be denied by Kiely's finger-tip save.

But with 61 minutes gone Derby, somewhat against the run of play, did score.

Howard played in Barnes to drill a low pass across the face of goal and Pearson got inside Paul McShane and slotted home to spark scenes of jubilation.

Having made most of the running for most of the match, the Baggies continued to press, with Bywater requiring two attempts to claim a strike from Zoltan Gera.

Bywater saved a Robinson header and most of the remainder of the game was played in the Derby half but West Brom could find no way to goal.

Credit - BBC Sport

Well I will be glad to see Graham Poll retire, I don't care what the pundits say, West Brom should have had two penalties in that game without getting any.

Tyler Durden

Funny how people see things differently. I thought they were two excellent decisions, both of which I thought were pens at first sight, but then in the replay saw them to be two excellent challenges that got the ball first in both instance.

Poll will always be fondly remembered for his three yellows at the last World Cup. Such a truly terrible World Cup tournament that this is actually my abiding memory of it.

Dmac

The first one, whether he did get the ball first or not, he went in with two feet and you simply can't do that and the second, yes again he got the ball but got the player first.

Tyler Durden

Lol, we'll agree to disagree.

I wonder if Derby will be a "Reading/ Wigan" in their first season back, or if a "Watford/ Palace" style return to whence they came is in the cards.

A lot will depend on whether or not Davies decides to stay next season.

Dmac

Well Derby only have a few talents worthy of the Premiership, if they wish to survive their only option is to go crazy on signings.

Tyler Durden

I don't know. Reading managed perfectly well last year and they (a) only signed Seol from Wolves and (b) started the season with not one single player with any Prem experience.

Dmac

There's a difference, Reading won the Championship with ease with a points gap to second place where as Derby found it hard and only won the play-offs.

Tyler Durden

There's no rhyme nor reason to it. Absolutely nobody was suggesting Reading had a prayer this season and the fact they ran away with the Championship was just put down to it being a "poor division".

The precursor just seems to be that if you make a good start (as Wigan and Reading both did) then you have a chance. If you start badly and lose momentum, you're gone.

Mikk

WC's Sexy Beast

Thats not always true, just look at Sunderland, from bottom to top all in one season.

I know your on about the premiership but sometimes if you do make a bad start it can be turned around just as Sunderland showed us.

Tyler Durden

I disagree 100%.

It's an entirely different thing. Sunderland, in the Championship, had nearly all of their Prem squad still in tact from the season before. They made a shocking start without a proper manager in place, but a squad like theirs could always turn it around in the Championship. As indeed they did.

Suffice to say, you make the same start next season, you will not recover.