DERBY County recovered from an early blow to lead Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at half-time in their Championship encounter at Ewood Park.
Ben Marshall's deflected opener put Rovers ahead inside the first minute of the match.
But the Rams hit back strongly with goals from Jamie Ward and Will Hughes.
Steve McClaren's men got off the the worst possible start when Richard Keogh slid in to block Marshall's 25-yarder but only succeeded in sending the ball looping agonisingly over keeper Lee Grant and into the net.
Despite the setback, the visitors immediately looked a threat going forward themselves and they were level in the ninth minute.
Simon Dawkins burst through the middle and found Craig Bryson in the box.
Bryson's cross-shot found its way to Ward, back in the team after missing the last game with a hamstring injury, and he found the roof of the net from eight yards.
Dawkins was causing problems and when he set up Bryson again, the Scot fired narrowly over from 20 yards.
Chris Martin then saw his header from a Cyrus Christie cross saved by Paul Robinson.
One-time Rams target Alex Baptiste was played in on the right by Craig Conway just after the half-hour but the full-back flashed an effort across the face of goal.
A couple of minutes later, an Corry Evans pounced on an error by Keogh to prod goalwards but Zak Whitbread was on hand to hack clear.
Derby took the lead in the 37th minute.
Ward did well on the right and found Hughes, who sent a superb left-foot curler into the far corner from the edge of the box.
The Rams might have had a third after 42 minutes when Hughes' cross from the right picked out Martin unmarked but the striker's volley from 15 yards cleared the bar.
