Derby County put on a dominant display to power to a 4-0 victory over Stoke City at Pride Park Stadium.
Phillip Cocu’s side ran riot over the Potters for their biggest victory in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season with a pair of goals coming in either half.
The tone was set in a four-minute period midway through the first half with Martyn Waghorn diving in to head home the opening goal before a brilliant finish from Chris Martin doubled the score to top off a brilliant run by Duane Holmes.
Following the break, Wayne Rooney bagged his second goal in as many games in vintage style. His free-kick on the edge of the box bent wonderfully into the top right corner. The finishing touches were added by defender Jayden Bogle as he latched on to a pass from Rooney and delivered the lethal shot to top off a spectacular evening under the lights.
The Potters had the first chance on goal after six minutes when Sam Clucas dragged a low effort wide of the far post. From there however, they struggled to get another look-in for the majority of the opening half.
Derby controlled possession and worked the ball round well. It soon paid off and in the 21st minute, the Rams grabbed the lead. Waghorn pinged the ball out to Craig Forsyth on the left flank who drove forward and whipped in to the area. Meanwhile, Waghorn burst forward into the box and dived in to head the opening goal into the net from the back post.
The Rams were equally as poised down the other end immediately after as the defence held strong to clear Stoke’s pressure in the box before an opportunity could materialise.
As the Rams regained possession deep in their own area, Matt Clarke found Duane Holmes in the middle of the park. The midfielder lost his man with a superb turn and continued to waltz forward before feeding through to Martin in the box.
The striker went one-on-one with Jack Butland and was cool and composed when he lashed his right-footed effort high and it blasted past the Potters’ keeper into the roof of the net to double the Rams lead within three minutes.
Tom Lawrence looked for Derby’s third goal inside ten minutes and came so close. With space outside the area, he shifted to his right foot and rifled an effort from 25-yards out that glanced just wide of the post.
With four minutes remaining in the half Stoke had a late opportunity to pull a goal back ahead of the break. Tom Ince fed out to James McClean who was open in the left of the area. The Rams defence did well to turn and swarm him and Bogle blocked his shot and it deflected over the crossbar.
After a quiet start to the second half, the game was put out of sight of Stoke by Rooney in the 67th minute. Lawrence was dragged down just as he was about to cross into the box by Josh Tymon. The Rams captain stood behind it and spectacularly bent the effort into the top right corner, well beyond the reach of Butland.
Derby weren’t done yet. Less than ten minutes later and Rooney this time turned provider. He send the ball through to Bogle and the right back shrugged off his man in the box before sending a rocket effort into the back of the net.
Stoke had a final chance to pull a goal back with a free kick on the edge of the box when Graeme Shinnie was adjudged to have fouled Joe Allen. Clucas took the free-kick but sent it into the wall and the Rams saw out the dominant performance for their biggest victory of the season so far.
Derby County: Hamer; Bogle, Wisdom, Clarke, Forsyth; Holmes, Bird; Wahorn (Davies, 73), Rooney (Marriott, 76), Lawrence;
Martin (Shinnie, 66)
Unused Subs: Roos, Knight, Malone, Whittaker
Stoke City: Butland; Smith, Batth, Lindsay, Tymon; Allen, Clucas; Ince, Powell, McClean; Vokes
Unused Subs: Davies, Diouf, Gregory, Verlinden, Cousins, Thompson, Collins