David McGoldrick scored a brace as Derby County secured an all-important 2-1 victory on the road at Exeter City on Tuesday evening.
Jack Sparkes scored late on to make for a nervy ending but two goals from McGoldrick ensured it was the Rams that head back to Derbyshire with a massive three points.
The Rams were inches away from taking the lead within the opening 90 seconds through Jason Knight.
David McGoldrick did brilliantly down the left and picked out Louie Sibley with a cross. Sibley's mis-hit shot fell kindly into the path of Knight who was denied at point-blank range by Jamal Blackman.
Exeter had a golden chance of their own and were denied by a save of the season contender from Joe Wildsmith.
Jake Caprice was afforded too much time out wide and delivered a lovely cross for the head of Josh Key. The Grecians man came storming in at the back post and looked destined to score but an outstanding save from Wildsmith saw him somehow tip the ball up and over his bar to keep the scores level.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was heavily involved in the first-half for the Rams and played a big part in two chances in quick succession.
First, he nicked the ball in the final third and played in Sibley who had a well struck effort go just wide before the winger then nipped in to win possession and drove forward before poking a clever effort just off target from 20-yards out.
Paul Warne's side started brightly after the break and had two penalty shouts in quick succession, both of which were immediately waved away by the referee.
But they weren't to be denied and took a well deserved lead on 52 minutes through McGoldrick.
A well worked free-kick routine saw Conor Hourihane lay off the striker and he bent an exquisite strike into the top right corner from 25-yards for his 20th league goal of the campaign.
Curtis Davies who was back in the squad as captain tonight headed just over from a Hourihane delivery as the Rams looked to add some breathing room to the scoreline.
They got their breathing room soon after and it was that man McGoldrick once again. He latched onto the end of a clever reverse pass from Mendez-Laing and fired an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner from a tight angle to give the Rams a two goal advantage with 15 minutes to play.
The hosts pulled one back out of nowhere within minutes through substitute Jack Sparkes. Josh Key's cross from the right was spilled by Wildsmith and Sparkes was there at the back post to head home and half the deficit.
It looked set to be a nervy final quarter of an hour but the Rams remained calm and stood tall to hold on for a huge three points.
Exeter City: Blackman (GK), Caprice (68' Sparkes), Hartridge, Collins, Key, Aimson (C), Chauke (81' Borges), Kite (68' Coley), Cox, Scott (68' White), Sweeney
Substitutes not used: Woods (GK), Harper, Grounds
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Forsyth, Hourihane, Cashin, Bird, McGoldrick (87' Collins), Mendez-Laing (87' Dobbin), Roberts, Sibley (81' Smith), Davies (C), Knight
Substitutes not used: McGee (GK), Rooney, White, Barkhuizen
The Rams return to Pride Park on Saturday to take on Burton Albion in the penultimate home game of the regular Sky Bet League One season (3pm kick-off).
