Arriving at The Hawthorns the staff were friendly and the buzz of the game was a truly great sight to behold as people young and old, families and people decked out in team’s colours queued outside and filtered into the stadium. Inside the ground again the buzz was there to be seen as people filtered into their seats to the sound of drums before kick-off.

 

West Brom were first to create something of note in the third minute when Hannah George struck the ball at the goal but Sarah Morgan was equal to the effort. Both teams were looking to establish an early foothold in the game with both teams appearing nervous as they strive for that all-important opening goal.

 

On the 13th minute, it was almost Derby who took the lead as Jess Camwell made sure that Poppy Bastock was on form as she tipped it over the bar and behind for a corner.

 

Both teams were having a battle in the middle of the pitch trying to get the upper hand with Precious Hamilton heading wide. Cramwell again forced Bastock into another save in the 31^st minute.

 

It was West Brom who opened the scoring after a mistake at the back saw the ball break to Leigh Dugmore who took her time and slotted the ball into an empty net to give West Brom the lead 1-0 on the 33^rd minute.

 

Another mistake nearly gave West Brom a chance to double their lead but Sherry McCue got back with a last-ditch tackle and blocked Mariam Mahmood’s shot.

 

Derby tried to put the pressure on at the end of the first half but some great defending by Isabel Green along with Ashlee Brown, who was fantastic in dealing with the Derby threat. The half time whistle went with West Brom leading 1-0 to the crowd’s delight.

Derby came out the blocks in the second half looking to get back in the game by putting pressure on the West Brom goal with Jade Formaston having a double effort but couldn’t force a real threat on the West Brom goal.

 

The first effort of any real notice came on the 60^th minute when Poppy Bastock pulled off not one, but two saves from Sophie Domingo.

 

West Brom were standing up well to the pressure from Derby with Ashlee Brown being always in the action out wide. Shannon Stamps, as always, was a great outlet to get forward and tried to hold the ball up and move it. Derby had seemed to target her as well, with her winning many fouls throughout the game.

 

Jenny Sugarman made some changes which instantly paid off as substitute Evie Gallop was soon running away in celebration of West Brom’s second goal. Gallop smashed the ball into the far corner giving some breathing room to West Brom on the 72^nd minute.

 

Derby kept going until the end but couldn’t take away Poppy Bastock’s clean sheet. She pulled off a fantastic save in the 90^th minute from a good effort from Sophie Domingo.

 

The full time whistle went with the home team taking a 2-0 win, in a historic game for them at The Hawthorns.

Overall it was a fantastic day out at The Hawthorns for the neutral, a home fan and an away supporters. Hopefully this will be the first of many games that will take place at The Hawthorns for West Brom and hopefully those that turned out will come down to Coles Lane to see them play once again in the season and beyond that.

West Bromwich Albion: Poppy Bastock, Isabel Green (Hayley Crackle 69), Ashlee Brown, Jess Davies, Hannah George, Shannon Stamps, Abi Lydon (Sophie Tudor 80), Trina Greaves (Evie Gallop 69), Kerry Walklett (Rosie Embley 63), Leigh Dugmore, Mariam Mahmood (Leanne Robinson 87)

Goals – Dugmore (33), Gallop (71)

Derby County – Sarah Morgan, Amy Sims, Megan Tinsley, Sarah Jackson, Sherry McCue, Emeila Wilson (Nikki Miles 81), Jade Formaston, Emily Joyce, Jess Camwell (Kira Rai 67), Precious Hamilton (Ellie May 81), Sophie Domingo