Derby County made it back-to-back wins in Sky Bet League One thanks to an impressive 3-0 victory over Barnsley.
A James Collins brace either side of a goal from Craig Forsyth cemented a huge win for the Rams at Pride Park.
Key Moments
The first chance of the day went the way of the Rams. Neat work from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing down the left saw him tee up James Collins in the box but the forward could only drag wide from a tight angle.
Joe Wildsmith's first save of the game was a big one when he pushed an Adam Phillips free-kick wide of the post before Devante Cole headed the second phase of play off-target.
Mendez-Laing had an effort pushed out of harms way by back Ben Killip before Ryan Nyambe let fly from distance and had his effort well saved by the Barnsley stopper.
The Rams were awarded a penalty in the 33rd minute when Tykes skipper Jordan Williams was adjudged to have pushed Collins the box. Derby's number nine stepped up to do the honours and made no mistake, firing straight down the middle to put the Rams in front.
Derby doubled their lead within two minutes of the restart and it was Forsyth the unlikely scorer! A free-kick from deep in his own half from Wildsmith was flicked on by Eiran Cashin and Forsyth snuck round the back to beat the offside trap and prod beyond Killip.
The Tykes had a brilliant opportunity to halve the deficit when Cole played substitute John McAtee through on goal but the latter fired wide with the goal gaping.
It was three just after the hour mark and this time it was both goal-scorers combining to add a third.
Forsyth again got in behind from a Cashin flick-on but this time saw his effort saved before Collins was there in the right place to bundle the ball home from a yard out.
The Rams weren't resting on their laurels and Max Bird was inches away from a fourth when he poked wide following a good run from Tom Barkhuizen.
Barkhuizen then had a brilliant opportunity of his own to add a fourth but skied it when through on goal before Cashin then headed over from the centre of the box after a brilliantly stood up cross by substitute Kane Wilson.
Fellow substitute Louie Sibley rattled the bar with a fantastic effort in the final minute but three is how it remained.
The result moves the Rams up to seventh in Sky Bet League One, level on points with Barnsley in sixth.
The Teams
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Forsyth, Hourihane (C), Cashin, Barkhuizen (84' Sibley), Bird, Collins, Mendez-Laing (51' Wilson), Smith, Nyambe (78' Bradley), Nelson.
Substitutes not used: Vickers (GK), Fornah, Robinson, Weston.
Barnsley: Killip (GK), Williams (C), Russell, De Gevigney, Cadden, Styles (68' Benson) (73' Sheperd), O'Keeffe (68' Cotter), McCart, Phillips (68' Jalo), Watters (46' McAtee), Cole.
Substitutes not used: Flavell (GK), Dodgson.
Attendance
28,019 (2,570 Barnsley supporters)
What's Up Next?
The Rams return to Pride Park on Tuesday evening when they take on Crewe Alexandra in the replay of FA Cup Round One (7:45pm kick-off).
