Derby 1-0 West Brom: Baggies' defensive howler gifts three points to Rooney's Rams
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Colin Kazim-Richards scored the Derby winner just a minute after coming on as a substitute
Wayne Rooney's Derby toppled another of the Championship's top sides as they battled to a hard-fought win over West Bromwich Albion.
Having already seen off Stoke City and Bournemouth on home soil, the up-for-sale Rams again upset the odds to beat the punchless Baggies.
The Rams' sixth league win of the season came thanks to a second-half defensive howler that gifted veteran substitute Colin Kazim-Richards the only goal of the game just a minute after he came on.
Albion, who would have gone second if they had won, also only had themselves to blame after failing to take a string of chances.
But Derby sealed all three points when Ryan Allsop made a stunning late point-blank save to keep out an injury-time header from Kyle Bartley, who had earlier had another effort disallowed for offside.
Both sides were missing key players as a result of Covid-19 protocol - Graeme Shinnie, Kamil Jozwiak, Phil Jagielka and Tom Lawrence for Derby and Alex Mowatt and top scorer Karlan Grant for Albion.
It was also a meeting of the Championship's second-lowest scorers Derby, who average less than a goal a game, and an Albion side with the unenviable tag of being the second tier's most wasteful finishers - so it was never likely to be a high-scoring game.
But, while Derby's fifth home clean sheet of the season, and second in succession, owed much to veteran centre-backs Richard Stearman and Curtis Davies, it was still a ridiculous winning goal.
In attempting to safely head the ball back to Sam Johnstone on 58 minutes after Jayson Molumby's attempted halfway line clearance had sliced back towards the Albion goal, defender Cedric Kipre had not appreciated until too late that the Baggies keeper had unwisely come a yard out of his area.
Kipre nodded it too powerfully straight at Johnstone's head, the ball skewed sideways into the path of the oncoming Kazim-Richards and the grateful Derby striker slotted into an empty net from 20 yards for his first league goal of the season.
Under Wayne Rooney Derby have reached halfway in this season's Championship having lost just seven times in 23 matches
Albion had chances either side of the Rams' 58th-minute winner, the best of them falling to Callum Robinson, who fired straight at Allsop, and Jordan Hugill, whose low shot slid wide.
Then, seconds from the final whistle, Allsop stayed alert to keep out Bartley's header and lift Derby to within 14 points of safety at their halfway point of the season.
What's next?
Following the cancellation of their scheduled home game with Covid-hit Preston on Wednesday night, this was Albion's final game of 2021. Derby are still due to be in action that night at Stoke.
There is then due to be another round of New Year holiday fixtures. Albion are scheduled to host Covid-hit Cardiff on 2 January (14:00 GMT) and the Rams are at Reading the following day (15:00 GMT).
Derby boss Wayne Rooney:
"I could see something happening between the defender and the goalkeeper. Them getting so close to each other, you hoped it would fall for us. It did and he [Kazim-Richards] put in a nice finish.
"The administrators have confirmed they have had bids from other companies and it needs to be done before January. I'm trying to plan for the future of this club and if it keeps dragging on, it's not helpful to anyone. So really this next week is pivotal.
"The next morning after Chris [Kirchner] pulled out, I had players coming up to me asking me questions. There are players out of contract in mid-January, there are players who can pre-sign for other clubs in January - players who I want here at this club."
Baggies boss Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio WM:
"I'm more than disappointed and frustrated. I am really upset. When you have the chance to get into the top two you need to show more of a winning mentality and desire.
"We gave away an embarrassing and ridiculous goal. At some point, the players have to take responsibility. We have enough time but we have to wake up now.
"The players need to learn the truth. They need more of a winning mentality over the second half of the season - and that is my job to help them find it."