COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL
Gareth Davis reports from Wembley Stadium
Derby County will play Premiership football next season after a tense and dramatic victory over West Bromwich Albion.
The decisive moment came just after the hour when Stephen Pearson slid the ball home from close range after an excellent Giles Barnes cross.
Matt Oakley and Paul Peschisolido had earlier forced Dean Kiely into fine saves, while at the other end Stephen Bywater blocked well from Diomansy Kamara, and Kevin Phillips clipped the bar.
It was tight, it was nerve-jangling, but the Rams are there!
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Paul Peschisolido was an unexpected name in the Derby County starting line-up as the Rams embarked upon their biggest game for well over a decade.
The Canadian, 36 on Thursday, replaced Jon Macken in the only change to the team that saw off Southampton in the semi-final.
Macken was among the substitutes, as was Giles Barnes, with Derby gaffer Billy Davies opting instead to call upon his most experienced campaigner.
The Baggies were able to name a strong line-up with Curtis Davies (broken foot) their only major absentee, while Kevin Phillips and Diomansy Kamara led the line.
And it was Albion who were on the attack with a shot inside 40 seconds from Kamara, following a long run that should have been halted, though Stephen Bywater was alert with a sprawling low save.
The Baggies seemed more settled in the first few minutes and could have done better when Paul Robinson had time and space on the left but failed to make the most of a good crossing opportunity.
But with nine minutes on the clock Derby should have been in front.
Howard flicked on a long ball to Peschisolido, picked it up again and slid in the Canadian, who seemed to lose his footing in the act of shooting from just inside the box and could only roll his effort straight at Dean Kiely.
It lifted the Rams, though they were almost caught out three minutes later as Jason Koumas embarked on a long solo run from near halfway that ended up with him inside the Derby box.
Tyrone Mears came in from the side and took the West Brom man down, though replays showed the full-back got to the ball first with an excellent challenge.
Derby - resplendent in a smart new kit especially for the Wembley occasion - were starting to find their feet and forced their first corner with 17 on the clock, but Matt Oakley's delivery came to nothing.
A driving Oakley run then set up Craig Fagan, who came inside but hit his shot safely past the far post.
It was soon West Brom's turn to attack though and they forced a couple of set-pieces that Derby defended well.
Kamara set up Robert Koren for a close-range volley that was blocked by Jay McEveley on 27.
Peschisolido was the first player to see yellow, on the half-hour mark for a challenge on Robinson, though he could consider himself a little unlucky as the West Brom man's foot followed through with natural momentum in the act of clearing.
Derby's next opportunity came four minutes later after a patient move involving Howard, Fagan, Johnson and McEveley, though Oakley ultimately fired wide under pressure from the edge of the box.
Sam Sodje was next to be cautioned, though again he could feel hard done by after finding himself in the way of a full-blooded Johnson, who cleared the ball and momentum took him in to the centre-half.
Howard and Peschisolido combined to flick a McEveley cross to the far post, where Fagan drove it back across goal but no Derby foot could get a vital finishing touch.
Two yellows became three six minutes before half-time as Paul McShane went into the book for a high challenge on Steve Howard - perhaps the most obvious of Graham Poll's cards so far.
Koumas was next to threaten, though his shot from a narrow angle never really looked like dipping far enough to drop below Bywater's crossbar.
The Welshman was looking ever more dangerous down the left and on 41 he made great ground before firing over a dangerous cross that Bywater managed to push just out of Zoltan Gera's reach.
Seconds later Phillips clipped the top of the bar from 20 yards after good build-up play involving Kamara and Gera.
But half-time soon arrived, giving both sets of players a deserved break after a well-fought first 45.
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Neither side made a change during the interval but Albion again began strongly and it was Koumas - increasingly dangerous as the game is progressing - who forced Bywater into a low save.
Mears then picked up a 47th-minute caution for a late challenge on the roaming midfielder, though Kamara's free-kick was wasted.
Oakley was a few yards wide of the far post on 52 with a skimming low drive, but it certainly got the Derby fans - behind the goal their players are attacking in the second half - up off their seats.
At the other end the Albion fans were also in full voice and were given something to think about as Koumas, this time in the centre, flashed a 25-yard effort narrowly wide.
Giles Barnes was introduced into the action on 57 minutes, taking the place of Peschisolido, and the teenager will offer a different threat to his more experienced colleague.
And the Rams were a flying save away from going in front shortly afterwards. Fagan's low cross was superbly met on the half-volley by Oakley, who held his head in his hands as Kiely flew to turn the effort over the bar.
It was probably the game's best moment so far and a wonderful reaction save from the Irishman - but on the hour he was helpless as Derby took the lead.
Howard took the ball forward on the break and fed Barnes, who made an excellent run down the inside right.
He played the ball across low for Stephen Pearson to finish from close range and score his first goal in a Derby shirt.
The joy was almost short-lived as Koumas broke and Kamara could only poke his low ball wide of the target.
There was a caution for Chris Perry, after hacking down Barnes with a wild lunge on the touchline just as it looked as though the teenager was about to break clear.
Bywater fumbled Gera's powerful 67th-minute effort but grabbed the ball at the second attempt with Kamara lurking.
The visitors made a double change with 20 to go, Gera and McShane taken off for midfielder Darren Carter and striker Nathan Ellington.
But it was skipper Robinson who had their next chance, rising at the far post to meet a Koumas free-kick, though Bywater casually plucked the ball out of the air and didn't appear even slightly concerned.
All the possession was Albion's, though Derby failed to make the most of a good chance to break as Barnes made ground down the left but didn't deliver when he reached the box.
Albion broke but Ellington's 20-yard shot was deflected safely into the arms of Bywater with 13 minutes remaining.
Their final change came on 81 as Neil Clement took over from Sodje, a straight swap in the heart of their defence.
Derby's second change followed seconds later as Fagan hobbled off and was replaced by Marc Edworthy.
Fagan had been outstanding on the right of midfield - his best performance for the club so far.
Albion had apeals for a penalty rejected on 84 as Carter went down, but once again it was an excellent challenge by Mears, while referee Poll was once more well-placed to see exactly what happened.
Seth Johnson's afternoon came to an end with three minutes left, replaced by David Jones in the centre of midfield, with both sides now having used their full set of replacements.
Such was the tense nature of the occasion that Howard dropped back as an extra centre-half with four minutes of stoppage-time underway.
The first two minutes were spent dealing with free-kicks into the box, while Jones and Bywater saw yellow for delaying a free-kick and time-wasting respectively.
Clement's free-kick deflected wide right at the death, but Derby cleared the corner and it was all over.
RAMS: Bywater, Mears, Leacock, Moore, McEveley, Fagan (Edworthy 82), Oakley (C), S Johnson (Jones 87), Pearson, Peschisolido (Barnes 57), Howard.
SUBS: Camp (GK), Macken.
WBA: Kiely, Robinson (C), Perry, Greening, Gera (Ellington 70), Kamara, Koren, Koumas, McShane (Carter 70), Phillips, Sodje (Clement 81).
SUBS: Chaplow, Daniels (GK).
ATTENDANCE: 74,993.
WEMBLEY WINNERS - A FULL LIST OF LINKS TO HIGHLIGHTS, REACTION, PHOTO GALLERIES AND MORE
