West Brom 1 Derby County 3: Baggies continue to unravel with Easter misery

Tony Mowbray's misfiring Baggies' meek limp towards the summer has seen them slump to 10th in the Championship. Remarkably the gap to sixth - so recently a hopeful target - is still six points with two games left as rivals lost, but the hope is very much .

Out-of-sorts Albion barely managed to improve on Good Friday's shocker at Coventry. They conceded from a corner twice in the first half, with Ebou Adams and Jerry Yates on target, as the hosts showed some pitiful defending - not for the first time in the last month or two.

Substitute Adam Armstrong, one of four changes on the hour, pulled one back midway through the second period but the hosts could not muster any more as fans emptied The Hawthorns in their droves. It was far from full before kick-off with hope drained and apathy taken hold.

Rams sub Nathaniel Landez-Laing made it 3-1 in his first action in the final minutes to condemn Albion, who were jeered off loudly by those few still left at the bitter end.

A record now reads one win in eight for Mowbray's side as things continue to quickly unravel for the head coach, who returned in January, with supporters left irate with a drastic collapse of form.

Monday's first half in particular was an insipid display of little apparent effort from those in blue and white stripes. They could not find a colleague with a pass, control the ball or manage basic defending from set-pieces. Mowbray could only watch on hands on head. John Eustace's side only remain clear of the drop on goal difference after their win.

Mason Holgate came in for the suspended Callum Styles with Torbjorn Heggem shuffled to left-back. Ousmane Diakite replaced Alex Mowatt and Grady Diangana came in for Karlan Grant from Friday's no-show.

Hundreds of empty seats around The Hawthorns told the gloomy story to match the pre-game conditions with fans understandably having made up their mind after Good Friday's despair.

There was a very evident low-key feel about things before kick-off. Derby fans chanted like their season hung on the outcome. Home fans could barely muster a sound to The Liquidator.

There was time before Adams's tame opener for the Derby midfielder to get away with what looked like a stonewall foul on Tom Fellows in the visitors' box, but referee Gavin Ward was unmoved.

The hosts conceded a needless corner with Holgate unable to compete and Darnell Furlong with some hapless defending.

Marcus Harness's delivery from the left was powered in at the near post by captain Adams. He skipped from goalkeeper Josh Griffiths' toes towards the first post, gave Furlong a nudge and powered in the header. Albion had no clue of his movements. 

The Baggies stumbled over each other in the midfield and final third. Mikey Johnston couldn't find a colleague. He, Grady Diangana and others kept bumping into one another. Players let the ball roll under their feet and were constantly out-fought by their yellow-shirted visitors.

Derby were happy to camp deep in a couple of banks upon taking the lead. There was little threat of their hosts penetrating.

There was a mix of apathy and frustration around the ground which increased when the Rams doubled their lead on half hour.

Another Harness corner, this time from the right, was flicked on by Sondre Langas and Matt Clarke and helped in off Yates's knee. It was pathetic marking and defending. Mowbray was left hands on head.

Derby were even more content. Albion managed a couple of efforts to end the first half as Isaac Price fired narrowly wide from 30 yards and stand-in goalkeeper saved excellently from Fellows' left-footed volley. But heavy jeers at the interval told the story.

There were no changes at the break, nor were there any signs of improvement in the early stages of the second half. Albion had more of the ball for five minutes or so but failed to threaten the visitors.

Derby settled, again, and by the hour Mowbray had called for big changes with Daryl Dike, Jed Wallace, Adam Armstrong and Grant. 

Albion went light at the back with Wallace and Price attacking full-backs and the changes took seven minutes to pay off.

Diangana picked out a fine through ball from the middle of the pitch to release Armstrong on the left. The on-loan frontman raced into the box and kept his cool from an angle to slide through the legs of Josh Vickers.

The goal changed the atmosphere inside The Hawthorns as the home fans hoped for late drama. There was slightly more urgency and no shortage of attackers littered on the pitch but Albion lacked in composure and quality.

Mowbray's men had the ball but chances were few and far between. There were loud penalty appeals once more as Clarke wrestled Dike to the ground as a cross came in.

There was only time for Mendez-Laing to come from the bench and convert for three to put sorry Albion out of their misery.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Furlong (Armstrong, 63), Bartley (c), Holgate (Wallace, 63), Heggem; Diakite (Mowatt, 79), Price; Fellows, Diangana, Johnston (Dike, 63); Lankshear (Grant, 63). 

Subs not used: Wildsmith, Frabotta, Swift, Cole. 

Derby (3-5-1-1): Vickers; Clarke, Phillips, Langas; Wilson, Thompson, Armstrong, Adams (c), Forsyth; Harness (Jackson, 80); Yates (Mendez-Laing, 86).

Subs not used: Luthra, Barkhuizen, Osborn, Goudmijn, Rooney, Pieters, Wheeldon.

Referee: Gavin Ward