A dramatic Christophe Berra goal in injury time saw the Blues come from behind to beat Derby and move to within two points of the play-off zone. The Rams went ahead through Patrick Bamford in the opening minute, Jonny Williams equalised with a brilliant second half strike before Berra’s last-gasp winner.
Town boss Mick McCarthy named the expected unchanged side with Anthony Wordsworth again replacing the injured Cole Skuse in the centre of midfield.
Derby made one change from the side which started the 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest at the weekend with Johnny Russell replacing the injured Jamie Ward.
The Rams went ahead with their first chance of the evening with the game only 33 seconds old. After breaking following a Town attack, Craig Forsyth cut the ball back from the left and Bamford swept home from the edge of the six-yard box.
Having gone behind so early the Blues put on a brief spell of pressure but were unable to create an opportunity. On 12 Jeff Hendrick’s through ball almost played Craig Bryson in on goal but Town keeper Dean Gerken was off his line quickly to claim.
Former Norwich man Chris Martin was booked in the 15th minute for shoving over Berra after the Scottish international had remonstrated with the Derby striker for going to ground very easily on the edge of the box.
Wordsworth saw a shot blocked in the 20th minute but the Blues — with Stephen Hunt now on the right and Paul Anderson on the left - were still to create a serious chance, while the Rams were continuing to look dangerous on the break, goalscorer Bamford cutting in and hitting a low 26th minute shot to Gerken.
On 28 Martin was very fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a late challenge on Berra, referee Fred Graham waving away the Town protests much to the annoyance of the home support.
Moments later, Russell sent a low ball across the Blues’ six-yard box but with none of his team-mates far enough forward to take advantage.
Derby keeper Lee Grant was having a quiet evening with claiming a Williams cross his biggest test during the first half.
In injury time the Rams were again very lucky not to see their number reduced when Bryson caught Williams with a very high challenge midway inside the Blues half, the on-loan Crystal Palace man requiring lengthy treatment, not for the first time during the first period. Referee Graham showed only a yellow card.
The Wales international appeared to have been targeted by the Rams and soon after the game restarted was fouled again, albeit less severely, this time by Hendrick, who escaped a card.
Referee Graham blew his whistle moments later and was booed off the field by an increasingly incensed home crowd, while Mick McCarthy made his feelings known to the official as he made his way towards the tunnel.
After conceding so early, the Blues had had a fair amount of possession but without creating any significant chances with Derby closing them down quickly.
The Rams, who could count themselves very fortunate to end the half with 11 men, attacked slickly and with pace when they had the ball.
The second half began in the same feisty manner in which the first ended, Aaron Cresswell making a very firm but fair challenge on George Thorne, which left the on-loan West Brom man requiring treatment. On 51 Thorne got himself into referee Graham’s book for preventing Williams from taking a quick freekick.
The Rams weren’t far away from increasing their lead in the 53rd minute when Bamford was sent through on goal inside the area. Fortunately for the Blues Gerken reacted quickly to block superbly, the loose ball eventually falling to the Town keeper.
A minute later, the Blues created an opening, Williams crossing deep from the left to Chambers, who headed down into the six-yard area but with none of his team-mates there to add the final touch Andre Wisdom cleared.
As the game moved towards the hour mark Rams’ keeper Grant was forced into his first save. Anderson found Murphy and the striker took the ball to the right of the area before hitting a shot which Grant tipped wide.
Before the corner Town switched widemen Anderson and Hunt for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Frank Nouble as they moved to 4-3-3. On 67 Williams was booked for tripping Thorne.
Two minutes later, the on-loan Palace man got the Blues back on terms. Cresswell played a freekick on the left short to him and he brought the ball in and smashed a superb strike to Grant’s left and into the net from almost 30 yards giving the keeper no chance.
Town had deserved to get back on terms for their endeavour, particularly since the break and Williams especially so given some of the treatment meted out to him by the visitors in the first half.
The game had developed into an open end to end affair and on 72 Derby were close to going back in front when Martin cut the ball back from the left to Bamford, who shot just wide.
They came even nearer three minutes later when they broke after the Blues surrendered possession on midway and Forsyth brought the ball forward before hitting a powerful shot which struck the outside of Gerken’s right post. Soon after, Nouble picked up a yellow card for a foul.
As the match moved towards its final 10 minutes Frazer Richardson replaced Chambers, who had suffered a knock, then Town went close to going in front. Nouble crossed from the right and Ebanks-Blake headed downwards from six yards but onto the outside of Grant’s right post and wide.
On 84 Forsyth was booked for a dive just outside the Town box with the game still very open and with both teams going for the three points.
In the final minute Berra made a superb challenge on Martin on the edge of the Town box then Nouble broke down the left to win a corner, just as the fourth official held up his board to announce five additional minutes.
And from the flagkick, Town went in front. Cresswell whipped the ball across and Berra nodded home his fifth goal of the season from the edge of the six-yard box before being mobbed by his team-mates in front of the Co-op Stand.
Derby went looking for an equaliser in the remaining minutes of injury time but rarely seriously threatened to get back on terms before referee Graham blew his whistle, this time to huge cheers from the home support
It was a pulsating finish to what had been an end to end second half from which either side could have grabbed the victory. Williams’s goal was as good as any scored at Portman Road this season, while Berra again showed his abilities at both ends of the field as Town claimed the late winner.
The back to back victories over Brighton and now Derby, coupled with results going the Blues’ way elsewhere, mean that with eight games remaining they are firmly in the play-off fight in eighth place just two points from the top six with plummeting Nottingham Forest at Portman Road on Saturday.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (Richardson 79), Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson (Nouble 61), Hyam, Wordsworth, Hunt (Ebanks-Blake 61), Williams, Murphy. Subs: Loach, Mings, Richardson, Tabb, Green.
Derby: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Thorne (Naylor 90), Bryson, Hendrick, Russell, Bamford (Sammon, 75), Martin. Subs: Legzdins, O'Brien, Whitbread, Bailey, Naylor, Thomas. Referee: Fred Graham (Essex). Att: 17,399 (Derby: 611).