Derby County returned to winning ways in superb fashion thanks to a 4-2 victory over in-form side Bristol Rovers.
A first career hat-trick for David McGoldrick plus a goal for the returning James Collins saw the Rams over the line in an action packed afternoon of Sky Bet League One at Pride Park Stadium.
The Rams were quick out of the blocks and got their reward within the opening five minutes. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing pounced on a loose ball before playing an inch-perfect pass to McGoldrick who made no mistake, firing past James Belshaw into the bottom right corner.
It was relentless from Paul Warne’s side and they doubled the lead as we entered the 10th minute.
A corner from Conor Hourihane was nodded on brilliantly by Haydon Roberts and the returning Collins, returning after a three-match league ban following his red card in the home loss to Port Vale earlier this month, was in the right place to prod home for his fifth goal of the season.
James Gibbons had the first chance of the afternoon for the visitors when a set-piece fell nicely to him in the Rams box but he fired over on the half-volley whilst off-balance.
There was no letting off the gas from Derby though and it was three before half-an-hour had been played and it was that Mendez-Laing-McGoldrick combination again.
McGoldrick outmuscled his man inside the area following a knockdown from Mendez-Laing before firing an incredible volley past the helpless Belshaw for Derby’s third and his second of the day.
Despite the ongoing pressure from the Rams, the visitors did manage to pull one back before the break. A deep free-kick was half cleared away by McGoldrick and Bobby Thomas followed in from a few yards out to put the Gas on the scoresheet.
But it was short-lived celebrations in the away end as Derby restored their three goal lead minutes later and it was McGoldrick who ensured he’d be taking home the match ball before the half-time whistle had blown.
He nicked the ball off Gibbons in the far corner before making his way into the box and finishing superbly into the far corner from a tight angle.
And yet there was still time for more drama at the end of first-half stoppage time. Craig Forsyth was adjudged to have committed a foul in the box and a spot-kick was awarded to the visitors.
Anthony Evans stepped up and put his penalty straight down the middle, beyond Joe Wildsmith, to make it 4-2 at the break.
After the restart, it was more of the same in terms of the Rams’ attacking football and Lewis Dobbin nearly made it five within the opening five.
McGoldrick again got in behind the Gas defence and was able to round the onrushing Belshaw before playing in Dobbin whose effort was stopped miraculously on the line by the Bristol defender.
Joe Wildsmith had to be at full-stretch to deny substitute Scott Sinclair from adding a third for the visitors after his deflected effort looked to be looping into the corner.
Despite the urgency for the visitors to find another goal from somewhere, the Rams were never put under any real pressure during the second 45 and rode the game out in both a professional and comfortable manner.
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Forsyth, Hourihane, Cashin, Bird (C), Collins, McGoldrick (71’ Osula), Mendez-Laing (80’ Thompson), Smith, Roberts, Dobbin (67’ Sibley).
Substitutes not used: Loach (GK), Stearman, Oduroh, Rooney.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw (GK), Gordon (56’ Clarke) (85' Saunders), Finley (C), Collins, Rossiter, Evans, McCormick (56’ Sinclair), Gibbons, Hoole (56’ Connolly), Thomas, Coburn.
Substitutes not used: Jaakkola (GK), Westbrooke, Kilgour.
Attendance: 27,841 (3,091 Bristol Rovers fans)
The Rams return to League One action next Tuesday evening when they travel to the Mazuma Stadium to take on Morecambe (7:45pm kick-off).
