A Jon Walters goal after 13 minutes was enough to give the Blues a 1-0 win at Derby's Pride Park and completed Town's first double of the season. Late on, the home side were reduced to 10 men when Jordan Stewart was red-carded for a high challenge on David Norris.

Town made two changes from the side which lost 1-0 to Birmingham on Boxing Day, Jon Walters replacing Jon Stead and Veliche Shumulikoski coming in for the injured Danny Haynes. Walters joined Kevin Lisbie up front in a 4-4-2 formation. David Wrigth failed to recover from his hamstring problem, Danny Haynes missed out due to the ankle knock picked up on Friday, while Richard Naylor is the latest player to have gone down with a virus.

Derby's Kris Commons curled a freekick wide in the third minute. Five minutes later, the home side were forced into an early change when Nathan Ellington was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

Town went ahead with their first attempt on goal. Alan Quinn crossed from the left and Jon Walters flicked a header across former Blues loanee Stephen Bywater and into the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Miles Addison struck a shot wide for the Rams on 20, before a ball was played over the top for Lisbie, but failed to fall for the Town striker and the chance went.

Lisbie came close to adding to the Blues' lead in the 25th minute when Walters played him through into the area. The former Colchester man appeared to lose his footing as he hit his effort straight at Bywater.

On 28 Ben Thatcher brilliantly headed the ball from under the bar from a dangerous Stewart cross from the left. Thatcher was again at the heart of the action two minutes later when a freekick came in from the right, the defender initially misclearing but then blocking from Rob Hulse.

Stewart shot wide from 30 yards, prior to Hulse heading over from a cross from the right and Nacer Barazite hitting a shot on the turn straight at Richard Wright.

While rarely playing fluent football, the Blues had got their goal and had generally prevented the home side from creating too much of note. For once, it was the opposition who were booed off at the break with the Town players applauded on the way back to the dressing rooms, although the now obligatory single ‘Magilton out' banner was present at the back of the stand.

Barazite hit an early second half shot through to Wright, before Gareth McAuley was yellow-carded for a foul on Kris Commons not far outside the area on the left.

On 54 Jon Walters sent in a cross from the right and Kevin Lisbie hit a shot on the turn, which deflected wide.

Two minutes later, Steve Davies got away from McAuley and hit a shot which struck Richard Wright's left post and landed at Barazite's feet. The on-loan Arsenal man hit a shot which felled Ivan Campo and went out for a corner, the Spaniard requiring several minutes of treatment before carrying on. Moments later, Campo was booked for a foul, Richard Wright saving the resultant freekick.

Good work on the right from Lisbie led to Quinn finding Norris inside the area, but the former Plymouth man failed to get in a decent shot and Bywater saved.

Jordan Stewart was yellow-carded for a foul on Walters wide on the Town right with Bywater out of his goal and momentarily stranded after slipping over. From the freekick, the ball found Veliche Shumulikoski at the back of the box, the Macedonian hitting a shot which was cleared by Martin Albechtsen.

Pim Balkestein replaced Ben Thatcher on 66, the ex-Charlton defender having received treatment for a head injury a few minutes beforehand.

Steve Davies headed over with 14 minutes left as the home side continued to put pressure on the Blues but without significantly testing Richard Wright.

A minute later, the Rams were reduced to 10 men when Stewart caught Norris with a high boot midway inside the Derby half. Referee Keith Stroud immediately reached for his red card and after a brief argument and an apology to the Town midfielder, the Derby player went on his way.

The freekick was cleared to Quinn on the edge of the area, but his shot flew well wide. Pablo Couñago replaced the again impressive Lisbie for the final 10 minutes.

With seven minutes remaining, Shumulikoski played in Norris but James Tomkins was quickly across to dispossess the Town midfielder.

Volz cut in and hit a shot just over, then at the other end, with the game moving into injury time, Addison hit a deflected shot just wide.

But Town weren't to be denied the three points and their fourth away win of the season and after Couñago shot straight at Bywater, the referee's whistle blew.

A resolute away performance from the Blues rather than a display of fluent football. Defensively, Town repelled everything thrown at them with Richard Wright and Gareth McAuley particularly impressive, but all over the pitch there were battling displays.

Attacking-wise, Kevin Lisbie again caught the eye with his movement and might have scored in the first half went put through by Walters had he not lost his feet.

Overall, an important win, particularly for manager Jim Magilton, after a poor recent run of results and increasing speculation regarding his future.

Town: R Wright, Volz, Thatcher (Balkestein 66), McAuley, Campo, Shumulikoski, Norris, Quinn, Miller, Walters, Lisbie (Couñago 80). Unused: Supple, Stead, Ambrose. Att: 28,350.

Photo: Action Images

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