Boss Mick McCarthy believes David McGoldrick’s excellent second goal during Town’s 2-0 home victory over Brighton was a result of the striker’s hard work on the training field with assistant manager Terry Connor.
McGoldrick has started the season impressively, netting five league goals in Town's first nine games, although is so far yet to score away from home.
McCarthy said he could see where the second goal had come from: "That’s his work with TC. He’s come to a place where he knows he’s settled, he’s appreciated, he’s much-loved by us all and he and all the strikers get really hard work with TC.
"I think it’s a feather in TC’s cap that goal as well, I could just see that twisting and turning and the way he shoots across the keeper. He deserves a mention for all the work he does with them.
"And when we’re bitching about missing chances, that’s nowt to do with TC, that’s down to them. When they get goals it’s down to TC’s coaching!”
The Town boss was also pleased with the way his three subs - Carlos Edwards, Frank Nouble and Anthony Wordsworth - performed: "Carlos came on and did a selfless job in terms of watching LuaLua because he was a threat.
"They worked hard and that’s what it should be about. I hate it when you put subs on and they have a little bit of a sulk up. It’s hard work that running around, lungs burning. They did it today, it was good.”
Overall, he believes his side is progressing in the right direction: "We’ve won the game, we’ve got a clean sheet and I think we’ve played some good, entertaining football as well, if that makes us getting better.
"I think we’ve retained the ball better than we have done in the past. I think we’re making little steps towards being a better team.”
Meanwhile, Derby have put academy boss Darren Wassall in charge of Tuesday's game against the Blues at Pride Park.
Steve McClaren, a former assistant manager of the Rams, is now believed to be the frontrunner to succeed Nigel Clough, who was sacked on Saturday.