Darren Moore has no fears about playing Tyrone Mears

Mears started his first league game of the season on Saturday after joining on a short-term contract until January.

The 35-year-old stood in at right wing-back and may be called upon again on Wednesday with the injured Matt Phillips facing a late fitness test.

Moore plucked his old Derby team-mate from Major League Soccer, where Mears had spent the past three years, in what was a left-field signing.

But he was pleased with his first 90 minutes in the Championship.

“He did really well,” said Moore. “It was great for Tyrone to come back to his old stomping ground. For him to get three points where it all started for him was great.

“I thought he showed his fitness, his energy, he didn’t look out of place at all. I thought he had a tremendous game.

“To come in at this stage of the season and put in a performance like that, it just adds to the team.”

Phillips has been in electric form this season, scoring four goals in the league already, but he picked up a muscle strain in the 2-0 win over Millwall.

Moore isn’t concerned by the injury, which he put down to fatigue, but will not risk the 28-year-old unnecessarily.

“It’s nothing too serious or bad, we just felt with the relentless schedule, you can’t risk people because there are games around the corner,” he said.

Albion have been electric at home, where they’ve won six out of their last seven games, but Saturday’s win at Deepdale was just their second away victory of the season.

Moore is not worried about the disparity ahead of their midweek trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

“In terms of home form and away form, we’re just trying to win matches in this division,” he said.

“You don’t get any God given right to win matches. You’ve got to apply yourselves right to win games as a group, collectively.

“We are showing that, whether it’s away or home, we are going about our business in the right, professional manner.

“We’re trying to implement your style of play and hopefully people are seeing that."