Korey Smith scored his first ever goal for Derby County and his first competitive goal since the 2017/18 season as the Rams beat Blackpool 3-1 on Tuesday evening.
Smith opened the scoring early in the second-half before James Collins doubled the lead on 70 minutes.
Kenny Dougall halved the deficit to make things nervy but substitute Martyn Waghorn made sure of the points, finishing off a fine break from the Rams in the final minute to cement an impressive 3-1 victory on the road.
Key Moments
With little to no action in the opening stages, it was the home side that mustered the first attempt of any kind after 12 minutes when Karamoko Dembele bent an effort high and wide of Joe Wildsmith's bar.
It took until the 34th minute for the Rams to have an attempt on Daniel Grimshaw's net but it really should have brought with it a goal. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing stood up an outstanding cross to the back post which Kane Wilson connected with but his header went inches wide of the post.
Wildsmith then pulled off the first save of the game and it was a big one at that. Owen Dale crossed low from the left and Jordan Rhodes met it first time and his effort was tipped brilliantly around the post by Derby's number one.
The biggest moment of the first-half came just as the half was drawing to a close. Korey Smith did brilliantly to find Wilson with a pinpoint through ball and the wing-back rounded the keeper but with the net gaping he put it agonisingly wide with his weaker foot.
Derby took a well deserved lead on 54 minutes and it was Korey Smith who got it with his first ever goal for the club.
Mendez-Laing did brilliantly down the left and crossed for Smith who smashed it first time into the top corner from 12-yards out.
The Rams made it two with a wonderfully crafted goal on 70 minutes. Smith did superbly to hold the ball up and lay off substitute Tom Barkhuizen who found James Collins with a neat through ball and the striker made no mistake, firing expertly over the on-rushing Grimshaw.
But Blackpool halved the deficit out of nowhere within two minutes.
Dembele found Kenny Dougall with a short pass and the latter let fly from 30-yards, rifling an unstoppable effort into the bottom left corner of Wildsmith's goal.
The hosts began piling on the pressure and were inches away from an equaliser when Sonny Carey hit the bar from close range.
With all of Blackpool's attacking, they were leaving gaps at the back and Barkhuizen very nearly exploited that to restore Derby's two goal lead. He broke with pace down the left and found himself one-on-one at a tight angle but his near post effort was well saved by Grimshaw.
And the Rams made sure of the three points with a fine breakaway in the final minute. Barkhuizen was again involved, latching onto a pass from Martyn Waghorn before returning the ball to his strike partner who fired home to send the visiting supporters into ecstasy.
The result sees the Rams move to five unbeaten in all competitions ahead of another long trip this weekend away at Cheltenham Town.
The Teams
Blackpool: Grimshaw (GK), Connolly, Husband, Norburn (C), Dale, Carey (83' Kouassi), Dembele (74' Lavery), Dougall, Rhodes, Casey, Hamilton.
Substitutes not used: O'Donnell (GK), Pennington, Morgan, Weir, Lavery, Ekpiteta.
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Wilson (81' Bradley), Forsyth (C), Cashin, Bird (69' Hourihane), Collins (81' Waghorn), Mendez-Laing (69' Barkhuizen), Smith, Fornah (90' Sibley), Nyambe, Nelson.
Substitutes not used: Vickers (GK), Washington.
What's Up Next?
The Rams are back in Sky Bet League One action and back on the road on Saturday when they make the trip to Gloucestershire to take on Cheltenham Town (3pm kick-off).
