Albion manager Tony Mowbray paid tribute to scatterbrained driver Roman Bednar after the Czech star got the Baggies motoring up the Premier League.

Bednar, who grabbed the winner in the 61st minute in a 1-0 win against Fulham, has been the target for ribbing in the Baggies dressing room after collecting a parking fine.

Mowbray was more concerned with the three-goal hitman’s match-winning strike against the Cottagers.

He said: “Roman has had a few issues with his motor cars I think but he is a guy coming from a foreign country and he is working very hard to be a Premier League player.

“He is doing a decent job at the momen. As long as he doesn’t get into major trouble with the law, I’m only interested in him working hard and scoring goals for his team.

“He is humourous around the dressing room, a fun character to be around and if he has got a few parking fines, I am sure he will be able to afford them with his win bonus.

“As a character he is a very happy-go-lucky sort of guy but when it comes to football, he is very focused. He wants to be a Premier League player, he wants to work hard and score goals.

“On the training ground he is full of fun and enjoys coming into training. He is a joy to have around the club. He is a good lad and he works hard.

“He sat behind me for a few weeks at the start of the season when we were playing Ishmael Miller up front on his own. Roman let me know once or twice how he felt.

“He needed an opportunity and, since it came, he has done exceptionally well. He knocked on my door and there was a bit of ‘Mr Grumpy’ around the training ground.

“Footballers are part of a team and I don’t leave people out to upset them.

“I try to pick the best team to try to win a game and Roman had to wait patiently and continue to work hard in training, which he did.

“I’ve got no problem with grumpy players as long as they work hard – and they realise they are sacrificing themselves at times for the team.”

Mowbray believes a half-time tactical reshuffle in midfield helped his side win by snuffing out the threat of American Clint Dempsey.

The Baggies boss said: “We’re happy with the result. We played against a decent team. Dempsey dropping off the front gave us plenty of problems.

“They reminded me of our team when we play at our very best in the first half. They move the ball around very, very well.

“Murphy and Bullard are top players. But a bit of tinkering at half-time managed to stop the service to Dempsey and I thought second-half we were much better.

“I think on the second-half performance I felt we warranted the victory. We created the better chances in the second-half and we’re delighted to get the points for the effort we put in.

“It was a tactical thing, trying to condense the space between our midfield and our backline, which restricted Dempsey getting in there.

“You’ve got to stop good players playing and they’ve got plenty of good players. I thought we did that better second-half.”