Two second half goals from Kris Commons saw Derby County to a 2-0 victory over the Blues, their first win at Portman Road in seven years. Town had been the stronger side for much of the first half but gradually lost their way with the visitors taking control and securing the win via Commons’s eighth and ninth goals of the season.

Grant Leadbitter and Connor Wickham recovered from the injuries they sustained at Sheffield United on Saturday and kept their places in the Town starting line-up. Connor Wickham replaced Jason Scotland up front, the Trinidadian having looked tired at Bramall Lane at the weekend. Priskin moved back to Scotland’s deeper attacking role with Wickham in the more advanced position.

Mark Kennedy and Darren O’Dea were considered fit enough to take places on the Town bench, while former Blue Shefki Kuqi started in the Rams’ attack and received a warm round of applause from his old fans.

As the game began in heavy rain, the first chance fell to the Blues inside the opening minute. Carlos Edwards, who had started on the left, crossed, Damien Delaney flicked on and Jack Colback shot over from the right of the box. For Derby, Tomasz Cywka shot wide but having strayed offside. On seven Márton Fülöp tipped a Cywka shot from the edge of the area over the bar with the visitors starting positively.

In the 12th minute Tamás Priskin forced Derby keeper Frank Fielding into action with a fizzing low shot which aquaplaned towards the corner of goal from 25 yards. The on-loan Blackburn Rovers glovesman scrambled to claim the ball at the second attempt ahead of Wickham.

Town, with Edwards and Colback having swapped back to their more natural flanks, were getting on top and as the game reached the 15-minute mark were putting the Rams under pressure, Wickham shooting just wide from a Priskin knockdown.

On 18, Shefki Kuqi missed an Edwards long throw from the left but Wickham couldn’t get on to the loose ball.

A minute later, Colback skipped past Robbie Savage and James Bailey before hitting a shot just wide. Moments later, Leadbitter went just over from 25 yards with the Blues continuing to look much the more dangerous side.

Priskin headed an Edwards throw to Fielding, then one-time Derby loanee Jake Livermore volleyed well over from the edge of the box with the Blues all but camped on the edge of the visitors’ box.

There was a huge scare for the Blues in the 29th minute when Livermore’s poor header back to Fülöp only succeeded in playing Kuqi in one-on-one with the keeper, but the ex-Town man scuffed his shot and the Hungarian saved to his left.

Town again went close in the 33rd minute when Leadbitter was played in on the left of the area when Shaun Barker mis-headed Livermore’s chip into his path. The Blues’ stand-in skipper took the ball beyond the advancing Fielding, who almost sent him to ground, before clipping the ball goalwards from a tight angle but it was cleared. A minute later Wickham shot wide.

As half-time approached Derby started to take control of the game and on 36 might well have gone in front. Cywka crossed from the right and Bailey’s flick from six yards was pushed away by Fülöp.

Gareth McAuley made an important interception in the 42nd minute, touching Cywka’s cross behind just ahead of the ready-to-pounce Kuqi. Soon after, Kris Commons chipped wide and then struck a shot to Fülöp’s left which failed to significantly test the Town keeper.

As the half moved into injury time Wickham curled a freekick wide from 25 yards after Priskin had been fouled.

Town will have been pleased with much of the first 35 minutes of the game, however, they had failed to turn their dominance into goals with Derby keeper Fielding not tested enough. During the final 10 minutes the Blues could easily have found themselves behind as the Rams got on top and had the period's best opportunities.

The first goalmouth action of the second half came when Priskin chased a long ball and, after almost being hauled back by John Brayford, tried to find himself space for a shot before laying a pass back to Livermore, who was dispossessed.

Derby though were starting the second 45 minutes in much the manner that they ended the first and on 52 a mix-up between Fülöp and Smith allowed Cywka to send in a cross from the right which fortunately came to nothing.

A minute later, Dean Moxey picked up the game’s first booking for a cynical foul on Priskin after the striker had got in behind him on the right. On 56 Jack Colback joined him in referee Roger East’s book for a foul on Cywka.

In the 58th minute the visitors went in front from a freekick 25 yards out. Kris Commons’s strike deflected off the Town wall and beat Fülöp to his right.

Town almost got back on terms a minute later when the second of two Eastman strikes fell to Priskin, Fielding doing superbly to push the Hungarian’s well-struck shot away for a corner. Jason Scotland replaced Livermore as the game reached the hour mark.

The Blues weren’t far from getting back on terms in the 66th minute when a McAuley header from a freekick fell loose, but Fielding acted quickly to punch the ball away from Scotland. Andros Townsend and Jaime Peters replaced Edwards and McAuley, Eastman joining Delaney at the centre of the defence and Peters going to right-back.

On 70, after another freekick had been sent into the Derby box, Scotland hit a shot too close to Fielding. Two minutes later Commons was booked for a foul on Townsend, then Leadbitter picked up his fifth yellow card of the season — and a suspension for the Barnsley game — in the 75th minute for a foul on Ben Pringle.

The Rams all but sealed their victory soon after when a hesitant Eastman allowed Moxey to cross from the left after beating Peters and Commons swept the ball across Fülöp and into the net for his second of the game. The Scotland international was replaced by Stephen Pearson for the final 13 minutes.

The Blues had the ball cleared off the line in the 80th minute, Delaney and then Smith heading on a Wickham long throw, but Roy Keane’s men weren’t looking likely to get themselves back into the game.

James Bailey was booked for protesting after he had been adjudged to have fouled Colback, then on 85 Scotland hit a sharp effort which very impressive England U21 international Fielding did well to save.

Late on, after Peters had been booked for a foul, Scotland shot wide, a Townsend cross-shot was deflected over and a Smith overhead kick landed in Fielding’s arms, but a comeback never really looked on the cards.

A disappointing result for the Blues having looked much the more likely victors for much of the first half. But, despite most of that period having been played in the Derby half, the Blues didn’t create too many clear-cut openings and when they did threaten they found keeper Frank Fielding in excellent form.

Derby were the better side for the most part after their good spell just before the break and Town never regained control of the game.

The first Rams goal had an element of fortune about it but came at a crucial time, as did the poor second with the Blues by then chasing the game and key defender Gareth McAuley having made way.

Roy Keane had wanted his team - who only dropped to seventh in the table despite the loss - to kick on after the two victories against Millwall and Sheffield United, but they failed to gain a third successive league win under his management for what would have been the first time. Now they will have to look to bounce back to form when Barnsley visit Portman Road on Saturday.

Town: Fülöp, Smith, Eastman, McAuley (Peters 68), Delaney, Leadbitter, Livermore (Scotland 60), Edwards (Townsend 68), Colback, Wickham, Priskin. Unused: Murphy, Peters, Townsend, Murray, Kennedy, O'Dea.

Derby County: Fielding, Barker, Green, Moxey, Brayford, Pringle (O'Brien 88), Savage, Bailey, Commons (Pearson 77), Cywka, Kuqi (Addison 73). Unused: Deeney, Doyle, Martin, Roberts. Referee: Roger East (Salisbury). Att: 17,572 (Derby: 491).

Photo: Action Images

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