A LATE goal from substitute Conor Sammon gave Derby County a 2-1 victory over 10-man Middlesbrough - sending the Rams up to fourth in the Championship table.
Sammon struck in the 90th minute after Boro had looked like nicking an unlikely point at Pride Park.
Chris Martin's 10th goal of the season put Steve McClaren's men in front on the stroke of half-time, after the visitors had seen striker Curtis Main sent off for a second bookable offence in the 34th minute.
Dean Whitehead equalised after 74 minutes but the home side stole all three points at the death.
Chances were at the premium in the opening period, with Boro keeper Shay Given having to tip over a deflected cross from Craig Forsyth and palm away a dangerous low centre from the same player.
Simon Dawkins and Craig Bryson both sent efforts straight at Given, while at the other end, Albert Adomah and Kei Kamara went closest for Boro.
The deadlock was broken in the first minute of added time when Martin managed to bundle the ball home from close range from Bryson's left-wing cross.
Derby pressed for a second after the break, with Jake Buxton seeing a header cleared off the line by Kamara shortly after the hour.
The returning Jamie Ward also went close when his fierce volley was saved by the feet of Given.
But Boro pulled themselves level with 16 minutes to go.
Substitute Mustapha Carayol made ground down the right and squared for Richard Smallwood and though he was halted, the ball broke loose for Whitehead to score from eight yards.
Boro then defended heroically until the last minute, when Will Hughes' flick-on found Sammon, who managed to loop the ball up and over Given from eight yards, with the help of a significant deflection.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Eustace (Hendrick, 46), Hughes, Bryson (Sammon, 79), Dawkins (Russell, 76), Ward, Martin. Other subs: Legzdins (gk), Keane, Cisse, Bennett.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Given, Williams, Woodgate, Gibson, Friend (Ayala, 90+2), Whitehead, Butterfield (Carayol, 46), Adomah (Varga, 87), Smallwood, Main, Kamara. Other subs: Konstantopoulos (gk), Richardson, Emnes, Ledesma.
REFEREE: A Madley (West Yorkshire).
ATTENDANCE: 24,631 (546 away fans).
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