Derby County returned to winning ways on Good Friday thanks to a 1-0 victory over Blackpool at Pride Park Stadium.
A fantastic strike from on-loan Cardiff City midfielder Ebou Adams towards the back end of the first-half was enough to seal all three points and see the Rams tighten their grip on second spot in Sky Bet League One with five matches remaining this term.
The first shot in anger went the way of the visitors when the ball fell kindly to Hayden Coulson inside the Derby penalty area, but he blazed over first time on the volley.
Derby's first half-chance came courtesy of a teasing cross from Joe Ward down the right which managed to evade everyone in the box before dropping just wide of goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw's far post.
The visitors should have took the lead when neat inter-play resulted in George Byers being found free in the centre of the box, but the midfielder skewed his effort wide of Joe Wildsmith's post.
Captain for the day Nathaniel Mendez-Laing forced Grimshaw into a fine save when he cut inside from the left and bent an effort from the edge of the box which looked destined for the corner, only to be denied by the fingertips of the Blackpool shot-stopper.
Jake Beesley headed over following a cross from Coulson for the visitors as both sides continued to search for the opener in a tightly contested affair.
The Rams took the lead before the break and they did so thanks to an outstanding strike from Adams. A cross from Louie Sibley was only half-cleared to Adams who struck a first time effort from the edge of the box which rocketed into the top corner beyond Grimshaw for his first Derby goal.
Derby had a chance to double their lead after the break when a ball over the top released Conor Washington through on goal, but the striker's effort was well held by Grimshaw after he had been pushed wide by a defender.
The visitors looked to hit back through Sonny Carey who tested Wildsmith direct from a free-kick, but the Rams' number one was sharp to get down low to his effort and turn it behind.
Sibley was inches away from killing the game off as the contest entered the final 10 minutes when he struck from range, however he saw his effort rise just the wrong side of the crossbar.
The Seasiders weren't giving up on their hopes of an equaliser and very nearly got one but for some last ditch defending from the Rams. A ball dropped kindly to substitute Kyle Joseph in the area and he saw two efforts blocked in quick succession, first by Eiran Cashin and then former Blackpool defender Curtis Nelson.
Six minutes of additional time were signalled as Carey blazed over a good opportunity for the visitors as they continued to search for a late leveller, but that was all they were able to muster in the final stages and the Rams held on for a vital three points on home soil.
30,089 (1,207 Blackpool fans)
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Wilson, Cashin, Mendez-Laing (83' Fornah), Smith (83' Hourihane), Washington (70' Collins), Sibley, Ward (90' Waghorn), Blackett-Taylor (70' Thompson), Adams, Nelson.
Substitutes not used: Loach (GK), K Robinson.
Blackpool: Grimshaw (GK), Gabriel (71' Hamilton), Pennington, Norburn (C) (79' Virtue), Byers, Carey, Dembele (71' Lavery), Coulsen, Beesley (71' Joseph), Casey, Ekpiteta.
Substitutes not used: O'Donnell (GK), Connolly, Kouassi.
The Rams return to action on Tuesday evening with a trip to Fratton Park to take on League One leaders Portsmouth in front of the Sky Sports cameras (8pm kick-off).
