A brilliant goal from County midfielder Kevin Cooper denied promotion-chasing West Brom victory at the muddy Hawthorns.

The hard-working Cooper found the target with just 12 minutes left on the clock to ensure the visitors were not forced to taste defeat for the first time since the turn of the year.

Cooper crowned a determined charge through the middle of the field as he found the target with a cracking left-foot shot from 20 yards to claim his fifth strike of the campaign.

Albion opened the scoring completely against the run of play when £2million record signing Jason Roberts found the net for the 13th time this term with his 44th-minute goal.

Schemer Ruel Fox fired a right-wing cross into the heart of the County defence where striker Lee Hughes powered in a marvellous header which struck the foot of the far post.

The ball stuck in the mud on the line and Roberts charged in to smash it into the back of the empty County net.

It was the visitors who dominated the one-sided first half and they squandered a golden chance after just five minutes when Aaron Wilbraham ballooned his shot high over the woodwork from only two yards.

Then, in the 15th minute, the impressive Cooper came close when he fired in a 25-yard shot which was fingertipped around the post by the diving Brian Jensen.

Cooper should have opened the scoring five minutes later when he held off two defenders but, with only Jensen to beat, he blasted his shot wide of the target.

After the break it was Gary Megson's promotion-chasers who held the edge with Jason van Blerk heading just inches wide from a pin-point cross from Fox.

Roberts also put his header wide from close range after the County defence had been opened up by Des Lyttle.

But County, now beaten just twice in 16 outings, were still dangerous when they broke away and Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi should have done better in the 82nd minute when he put his shot wide after a pass from Ali Gibb.

Teams:

West Brom: Jensen, Lyttle, Clement, Butler, Carbon, Fox, Sneekes, Appleton, Van Blerk (Fernando Derveld 84), Roberts, Hughes (Taylor 80).

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Sigurdsson, Jordao.

Goals: Roberts 44.

Stockport: Jones, Nicholson, Flynn, Cooper, Grayson, Gibb, Wiss, Clare, Smith (Fradin 67), Kuqi, Wilbraham (Maxwell 37).

Subs Not Used: Dibble, Woodthorpe, Carrigan.

Booked: Wiss, Flynn, Cooper.

Goals: Cooper 78.

Att: 16,385

Ref: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).