Ram raid has Bilic buzzing
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SLAVEN BILIC was delighted to see his West Brom side move back to the top of the table.
The Baggies did a job on the Championship’s in-form side to jump back above Leeds – and Bilic was bubbling with joy.
A brilliant first-half goal from Grady Diangana did the real damage and then Dara O’shea finished the Rams off with a 76thminute header.
Play-off chasing Derby went into the game having taken 16 points from the last 18 but West Brom put the squeeze on them virtually from the start.
Bilic said: “We were magnificent, fantastic.
“We played a side in form like Derby and gave them nothing. The only thing missing was an earlier second goal.”
Diangana put the Baggies ahead in the 11th minute with a strike from the tightest of angles and they never looked back.
The on-loan West Ham man looked to have run out of room after playing a one-two with Kamil Grosicki before sidestepping the keeper.
Rams stopper Ben Hamer had every reason to think he had done enough by forcing Diangana wide.
But he had other ideas, clipping the ball across towards the untended goal and peeling away in delight as it rolled in via the post.
Charlie Austin almost doubled West Brom’s lead when he forced Hamer into action.
But the Derby keeper pushed the striker’s first-time volley around the post a minute before the break.
Hamer was left scratching his head for Derby’s second after he had the ball bundled out of his hands by teammate George Evans.
Matheus Pereira took the corner and there was O’shea steaming in at the near post to power home an angled header.
Derby had Louie Sibley sent off in the 90th minute for appearing to stamp on O’shea – but the teenager protested his innocence.
Rams boss Philip Cocu said: “I asked the referee if he was sure there was a stamp and he said he was.
“But I’ve seen the replay and it’s clear he didn’t.”