Derby County claimed all three points on the road with a 2-1 win against Coventry City in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday night.
Jerry Yates’ double gave the Rams a two-goal lead at the Coventry Building Society Arena midway through the second half.
The striker sent the Rams into half-time with a goal advantage after netting inside the opening 15 minutes and doubled the lead in the 73rd minute. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto narrowed the lead minutes later to set up a nervy finish to the game, but Derby held on.
Midfielder Liam Thompson and striker Dajaune Brown made their first starts of the season in league competition this season as Derby sought their first away win of the campaign.
Brown appeared to have the Rams’ first chance of the game when he broke away alongside Yates early on, but the 19-year-old couldn’t find a pass in time to unleash his strike partner as Coventry cleared the danger.
Pressing from Kayden Jackson forced a defensive error for Yates to pounce on in the 10th minute. The mistake saw him one-on-one with Coventry goalkeeper Oliver Dovin and the striker made no mistake rounding Dovin and slotting the ball into the back of the net.
Callum Elder looked to play Brown in behind from the left flank in 20th minute, but the forward was denied by some good defensive work from Joel Latibeaudiere.
Thompson looked bright in the centre of the park and combined with Elder and Yates to fashion opportunities for the Rams as they looked to further threaten and extend their lead, but came up against an equally determined defence.
The Sky Blues’ best chance of the half came when Haji Wright looked to benefit from Josh Eccles’ corner delivery in the 41st minute, but the attacker blazed the ball over the bar after it dropped to him in space inside the penalty area.
Paul Warne made Derby’s first change of the match when Craig Forsyth took the place of Elder at half-time owing to injury.
The Rams came out from the break looking bright again, as Jackson and Brown both looked to stretch the Coventry defence with darting runs, and Derby had a flurry of corners which were duly cleared up by robust Coventry defending.
Brandon Thomas-Asante spun a low strike at goal from the edge of the box in the 57th minute that eked wide of the post as Jacob Widell Zetterström stretched to make his first real action of the match.
The hosts looked to ramp up the pressure with attacking substitutes as they searched for an equaliser.
Curtis Nelson and Forsyth sprung into action to clear when substitute Ephron Mason-Clark’s delivery into the box looked to cause trouble in the 64th minute.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing came onto the field in place of Brown in the 68th minute to inject even more attacking impetus and energy into the side.
Mendez-Laing looked to have an immediate impact as he ran clear on the right wing and played an enticing ball towards Thompson who emerged in front of goal, but the midfielder couldn’t stretch to connect with the ball.
Zetterström saved a bouncing effort from Sakamoto and sent a quick delivery up field that Forsyth nodded onto Yates on the left side.
The on-loan Swansea City striker hit a left-footed effort which, via deflection off Bobby Thomas, took the ball high into the air that dropped into the far corner goal to send the 3,000 Derby fans wild.
It wasn’t long before the hosts pulled a goal back, as Sakamoto shot from the edge of the area and beyond an unsighted Zetterström to set up a tense finish.
The Swedish shot-stopper was in action again as he saved from Victor Torp, who wound up a long-range effort in deep into added time. Derby held on under the pressure to take home three points.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Nelson, Phillips (Bradley 76), Cashin (C), Elder (Forsyth 46), Adams, Thompson (Wilson 76), Goudmijn, Jackson, Yates (Collins 86), Brown (Mendez-Laing 68).
Unused Substitutions: Vickers (GK), Ward, Harness, Barkhuizen.
Coventry City: Dovin (GK), Binks, Thomas, Sheaf (C), Latibeaudiere (Dasilva 60), Rudoni (Mason-Clark 60), Sakamoto, Wright, Thomas-Asante (Torp 60), van Ewijk, Eccles.
Unused Substitutions: Collins (GK), Kitching, Tavares, Perry, Andrews, Dausch.
Referee: Sam Allison
Assistant Referee: Greg Read, Hugh Gilroy
Fourth Official: John Busby
27,243.
The Rams host Plymouth Argyle on Saturday 9th November in their final Sky Bet Championship match before the upcoming international break.
