Albion midfielder Robert Koren has insisted team will repay fans for their FA Cup exit – and predicted victory against Derby County.

The Baggies return to action in the Championship against the Rams, just three days after throwing away the chance of an FA Cup quarter-final.

Koren, who scored both Albion goals in their 3-2 fifth-round replay defeat, admitted that the players owe supporters a performance having denied them a last-eight showdown with Villa.

He said: “We spoke after the game and of course everyone was disappointed, because the fans were great and we know we didn’t play as well as we can.

“But we need to get our heads up and we will be ready to win the game against Derby.

“We will give everything we can and I am sure we will get three points. We prepared ourselves really well on Wednesday, we were up for it and we started the game really well and scored a goal early.

“We led 2-1 and we thought the game was finished and we would go through, but Reading showed good spirit and at the end of the game they scored a goal. We made too many mistakes but we need to look at the whole team because we didn’t do a good enough job defensively.

“Everybody should have done better so we were really disappointed that we didn’t go through.

“But tomorrow is a new day and we need to prepare ourselves really well for Derby at home and keep our heads up. I’m sure we will give 100 per cent and we will win the game.

“After the game talked in the dressing room and everybody agreed. We need to be better defensively and we need to work hard as a team, be more compact and put our hands up and look forward to the Derby game.

“We will do everything to win the game.”

Koren’s double-strike capped his best performance in several weeks despite him spending much of the game in the wide midfield role that has been known to frustrate him in recent times.

The 29-year-old wanted to cement a place in his preferred central midfield role, after playing a host of positions under former manager Tony Mowbray.

But the Slovenia captain has found himself on the fringes of new head coach Roberto Di Matteo’s plans since the summer, leading to a well-documented fall-out after the 2-0 home win against Scunthorpe.

Nonetheless, Koren is still desperate to play his part in helping take the Baggies back to the Premier League.

He said: “Everybody knows I try my best for the team and I don’t care too much where the manager decides to play me. Of course everybody knows where my favourite position is but I always try my best in training and work hard for the team.

“It’s always good to score goals that give you some extra confidence, but we need to work hard defensively as a team and individual statistics don’t matter too much.

“At the end of the season we need to be at the top of the league. That’s what we want to achieve and we need to be focussed and concentrated in every game to do our best.”

The 29-year-old was joined in Wednesday’s squad by midfield colleague James Morrison, who was back from a 10-month lay-off with a heel injury.

Morrison will be involved again tomorrow and Koren believes his return to action is a timely boost for the Baggies.

The Slovenian said: “Mozza has been out for quite a long period so it’s really good to see him back. He worked really hard in the time he was out and I am really happy for him and everybody is the same.

“Of course he still needs some more games and time to get back to the level he was at before, but we’re pleased to see him back. He is an intelligent player but still young and I’m sure he will give us something extra in the last few weeks of the season.”

Morrison played for 50 minutes on Wednesday after the replay went to extra-time, meaning a longer-than-planned outing in his first game back.

The 23-year-old is likely to be a substitute again tomorrow, but is happy to play from the start if called upon.

He said: “It might be a bit soon but if I am called upon I will be willing to go and give me all as I always do. I will be looking forward to it if I do start, but Wednesday was just a relief to get a game under my belt.”

Morrison believes Hawthorns staff and senior squad members have a major role to play in helping the Baggies bounce back from Wednesday’s demoralising loss.

He said: “We’ve got to put it behind us quickly and people on the coaching staff have got to do that. The senior players have got to do that as well. It has been a hectic list of games and we’ve got a week’s break after Derby so we need one last push before we have a little break, then we can go again.

“There were a few players rested on Wednesday so that will be a help for tomorrow with them coming in.

“I wouldn’t care if we were rubbish and won, as long as we get those three points and give ourselves a boost after Wednesday’s defeat.”