West Bromwich Albion matchwinner Craig Gardner says victory over Aston Villa has united the locker room.

The midfielder scored his first goal for Albion in the 1-0 victory at The Hawthorns on Saturday, just their second win in 10 Barclays Premier League games.

"We knew if we won the local derby it would catapult us up the league, get everyone back on side, get the fans back on side, because we need the fans, we need everyone at the club," said Gardner, who started his career at Villa.

"We got the whole team, the whole club back together.

"This win can have a really galvanising effect, definitely. The fans, seeing the work rate we are putting in, seeing we are not hiding.

"It is a platform to build on. It's four points from two games and we can really push on now."