Derby striker Jack Marriott continued his impressive run of form in front of goal to help secure a stunning 4-1 Sky Bet Championship victory against fellow high-flyers West Brom at The Hawthorns.
Marriott scored for the third successive match in the 10th minute.
Tom Lawrence then struck five minutes later with Harry Wilson on target in the 51st minute and Scott Malone scoring 19 minutes from time as Derby made it back-to-back wins to move within two points of leaders Leeds.
Albion had been chasing a sixth successive home league win that would have put them top of the table.
But an 83rd-minute consolation strike from Jay Rodriguez was all they had to show for their efforts as they slipped to back-to-back defeats after being beaten at Wigan last time out.
Derby struggled to clear their lines in the opening exchanges and that almost cost them after seven minutes when Rodriguez flashed a shot into the side netting.
But if Rodriguez thought that missing the chance was bad, things got worse for him when he inexplicably handed Derby the lead.
Rodriguez collected a pass from Kyle Bartley and then tried to play the ball back to goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
However, Rodriguez failed to notice the lurking Marriott who intercepted the pass before rolling his shot past Johnstone.
Derby then took even more of a control of affairs after a neat passing move in midfield.
Wilson released Lawrence and the Wales international cut in from the left flank before curling a low right-foot shot past the outstretched hand of Johnstone.
Rampant Derby were then denied twice in the space of a minute by Johnstone who saved from Malone and Tom Huddlestone.
Albion should have capitalised on Johnstone’s heroics but Rodriguez shot straight at goalkeeper Scott Carson in the 36th minute before Johnstone pulled off a stunning save to deny Jayden Bogle.
Albion’s dismal first-half was compounded after 39 minutes when they had claims for a penalty dismissed by referee Robert Jones after Gayle looked to have been pushed over by Malone as he raced towards goal.
Albion did start the second-half brightly when Harvey Barnes shot wide and was then frustrated by former Albion ‘keeper Carson before Derby ended their hopes of a comeback once and for all.
The alert Marriott picked up the ball just outside the Albion area and fed Wilson who scored his third goal of the season with a clinical piece of finishing from 20 yards.
Malone then made a stunning block to deny Hal Robson-Kanu a goal before two minutes later finding himself at the opposite end of the field to stab home Derby’s fourth after Mason Bennett had led a counter attack.
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