Stephen Pearson fired Derby County into the Premiership as his second half goal clinched a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Pearson, a £750,000 buy from Celtic in January, picked the perfect time to score his first goal for Derby as Billy Davies's side returned to English football's top-flight after a five-year absence.

Derby had narrowly missed out on automatic promotion after a late season collapse but they made amends at Wembley by winning the single most lucrative match in world football.

The triumph was especially sweet for Davies, who finally got to savour success in the play-offs after losing with Preston North End in the previous two seasons. It was third time lucky for the Scot, who has underlined his reputation as one of the game's brightest young managers by leading Derby to promotion in his first season at Pride Park.

Davies sprang a surprise by handing Paul Peschisolido just his fifth start of the season alongside Steve Howard in Derby's forward line.

Tony Mowbray, the West Bromwich manager, had brought his players down to Wembley last week so they could get a feel for the stadium and they instantly looked at home. With less than a minute gone Diomansy Kamara surged past two Derby defenders into the penalty area before firing in a drive that Stephen Bywater saved low to his left.

Peschisolido's lack of match practice was exposed after ten minutes when Howard poked a pass through that gave the Canadian a glorious opening, but he could only scuff a weak shot straight at Dean Kiely.

Graham Poll, taking charge of his last match in England before retiring, turned down Albion's penalty appeal when Tyrone Mears lunged in on Jason Koumas and television replays suggested the referee's decision was spot on.

Matt Oakley snatched at a half-chance when Craig Fagan's chest-down fell to the Derby captain, but with so much at stake it was inevitable that serious opportunities were at a premium.

Albion had the best of the few openings with Bywater alertly tipping over a deflected free-kick that would have dropped in under his crossbar. Kevin Phillips had been kept quiet for much of the first half, but the former England striker nearly broke the deadlock two minutes before the interval. Kamara and Zoltan Gera exchanged passes to carve open the Derby defence and Phillips' shot from the edge of the area grazed the crossbar.

Kiely kept Albion on level terms with a superb save on the hour. Oakley met Fagan's cross with a half-volley that was destined for the top corner until the former Charlton Athletic goalkeeper acrobatically pushed it over.

It was only a temporary reprieve for Albion. Davies replaced Peschisolido with talented young midfielder Giles Barnes and his decision paid off in the 62nd minute. Howard's pass sent Barnes away down the right flank and the teenager drove a low cross into the six-yard box, where Pearson got in front of Paul McShane before steering his shot past Kiely.

With their promotion dream in danger of disappearing, Albion pushed forward and Kamara should have done better than shoot well wide from close range.

Gera tested Bywater with a powerful strike and Kamara shot over as Mowbray's side desperately searched for an equaliser, but Derby held on and Davies's jubilant side can look forward to testing themselves against Manchester United, Chelsea and the rest of the Premiership next season.