Derby County player ratings v Blackburn as quartet score high as Pride Park erupts with win

Derby County climbed off the foot of the Championship table as John Eustace guided the Rams to their first win since Boxing Day to breathe life into their battle for survival with a priceless three-point haul against his old club Blackburn.

Eustace, who left Rovers last month to take charge at Pride Park, watched as Derby raced out of the blocks and they were ahead early on when a free-kick into the box was flicked on by Nat Phillips that caused chaos inside the area.

The ball eventually made its way through to Craig Forsyth who was lurking at the back post and the long-serving Scot had the simple task of guiding the ball into the net.

Before Blackburn had chance to regain their senses, Derby were further ahead when Marcus Harness pulled a cross back from the byline that the visitors could not deal with leading to Jerry Yates grabbing an assist as Ebou Adams added a second.

Pride Park was delirious, but gradually Rovers eventually fought their way back and it took a good save from Jacob Widell Zetterstrom to deny Yuki Ohashi.

At the other end, Aysnley Pears rescued Rovers from conceding a third after Dion Sanderson gave the ball away. But Rovers did find a breakthrough when Tyrhys Dolan got to the byline where his pull back was collected by Ohashi who turned it into the area for Makhtar Gueye to lash high into the net.

And just before half-time, the striker could have had another when he failed to make contact from a Sondre Tronstad cross. Both sides struggled for chances after the interval but Derby did create an opening from a set-piece when Phillips glanced a header wide of the far post from a corner.

And with six minutes remaining, Yates miscued in front of goal as he missed out on the chance to give Derby a third as they secured a much-needed win that leaves them four points adrift of safety.

Jacob Widell Zetterstrom: Made a good save to deny Yuki Ohashi in the first half but couldn't really do much about Makhtar Gueye's effort before half-time. Didn't have much to do in the second half. 6

Kane Wilson: Was nice to see him back and it will take him a while to get up to speed after spending six weeks on the sidelines due to a hamstring problem. Took the fight to Rovers in the second half and was excellent. 7.5

Sondre Langas: Was on the front foot and was nice and aggressive. Had a couple of decent defensive headers and generally had a decent game in the heart of the defence. 6

Nat Phillips: The on-loan Liverpool defender just looked the part and made a couple of excellent tackles. Was a big performance and had a big hand in the opening goal. 7

Craig Forsyth: Gave Derby the lead with a guided finish early on that gave the Rams just reward for what was a very quick start that had Blackburn in all kinds of trouble. 7

Callum Elder: Made a couple of strong runs going forward and won a free-kick from one of them which showed what he can bring when he attacks. 6

Harrison Armstrong: The on-loan Everton teenager had a sound game in the heart of midfield. Set the tone early with one challenge which won him plenty of acclaim. Plays without fear. 6.5

Ebou Adams: Has become runaway contender for the player of the season award and he produced another display full of heart, tackles and a desire to win. Scored too. 7

Liam Thompson: Ratted around the heart of midfield and pressed high up the pitch when the chance arose. Tried to stop Blackburn's momentum and put in a real shift. 6.5

Marcus Harness: Played an integral role for the second goal with a cross that was pulled back into the area which caused chaos in the Blackburn defence. 6

Jerry Yates: Put his bundle in up front and pressed with intensity. Did a job for the team in the opening stages in particular as Blackburn struggled with Derby in the first 10 minutes. Got an assist too. 6.5

Subs

Matt Clarke (Langas 59): Rattled into a couple of tackles. 6

Kayden Jackson (Harness 73): Had a couple of moments when he looked a threat. 6

Kenzo Goudmijn (Armstrong 85): Tried to help the team. N/A

Who was your man of the match? Have your say HERE

Get the latest Derby County news sent straight to your phone

Join our Derby County WhatsApp group to get the latest Rams headlines sent straight to your phone. Joining is easy – just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started.

No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from our Rams writers. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Rams news.

If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group', simple as that! Remember, to join our Whatsapp group just click this link. We also send community members special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.