'It's not very often that happens' West Brom boss Ryan Mason felt his side merited more

John Eustace's visitors ensured their impressive record, as well as that of their head coach, against the Baggies was extended as ex-Albion man Andi Weimann netted six minutes from time.

It ended the hosts' unbeaten start to the new Championship season and was a first league victory for the east Midlanders.

Mason felt his troops did not get what they deserved from the clash on the 125th anniversary celebrations at The Hawthorns. Stats read 18 shots to the hosts, but just three on target, though Alex Mowatt inadvertently cleared off Derby's line and Jayson Molumby struck the woodwork. Weimann's cute late finish was the Rams' first effort on target.

"We played a great game. Didn't get what we deserved, which happens in football," Mason said. "We have to accept it and move on.

"We were creating openings, certainly, and we were the team that were, I thought, in the first half dominant in terms of territory and balls in the box.

"We probably didn't create too many chances, but that happens when you're playing against a team that defends so low with 10 players behind the ball.

"But we understood that as the game went on, openings would happen. That certainly did happen. We just weren't able to make the most of those situations."

Weimann, who played 13 times and scored twice for the Baggies in the second half of 2023/24, latched on to a Patrick Agyemang flick and finished smartly low by deceiving sprawling Albion defenders at Josh Griffiths' near post.

Mason claimed that losing in such a manner is "unfortunate" and unusual.

He added: "The goal is unfortunate from our side. To concede one shot on target in a game of football and that's the first one in the 85th minute.

"It's not very often you play games and that happens. I know we played a really good game. We certainly didn't deserve to lose, so it's a frustrating one."

Albion saw Isaac Price volley straight at keeper Jacob Zetterstrom in the opening moments but the big openings arrived early in the second half as Nat Phillips' goalbound effort from a corner hit Mowatt just inches from the line and stayed out. Captain Jed Wallace then lashed narrowly wide.

A lull either side of the hour was not helped by the strange sight of a dead pigeon helped from the pitch by an Albion medic after it was ravaged by one of the stadium's two peregrine falcons. Away boss Eustace claimed the delay helped influence his changes and Mason was perplexed by the time taken.

Molumby saw an effort turned behind just before Weimann's decisive moment and the Ireland midfielder crashed the woodwork at the start of stoppage time.

"Listen, that happens," Mason added of near misses. "Sometimes that happens in football. It's still fresh. It still hurts so much, not just for me, but the players and everyone. 

"I mean, it's strange. I've never seen it take so long to take a bird off the pitch. But, listen, it was sort of down to us to try and create that momentum again.

"Obviously subs slow the game down a little bit, but we still created plenty of openings. We just probably weren't - I wouldn't say clinical - it just didn't fall our way."