John Eustace returned to Ewood Park to spoil Blackburn’s 150th anniversary celebrations as his Derby side held on to earn a 2-1 victory.
After controversially swapping play-off-chasing Rovers with the relegation-threatened Rams in February, Eustace’s first return always promised to be hostile and so it proved.
But his Derby outfit are vindicating that decision and stood up to the test. They raced into a two-goal lead through headers of differing technical qualities.
In-form Carlton Morris deftly nodded the Rams into a 19th-minute lead – his sixth in four games – before Patrick Agyemang powered in a header of his own on the stroke of half-time for his second goal of the season.
Yuki Ohashi’s 66th-minute penalty reduced the arrears and Derby had to survive an onslaught of long throws and corners but held firm to record their fifth successive win, moving to the fringes of the play-offs.
Rovers paid for a slow start and failing to test Jacob Zetterstrom enough but were hampered by injuries which saw midfielder Ryan Hedges deployed as a defender.
Derby started aggressively and created opportunities for Morris, who headed wide at the back post before former Rover Ben Brereton Diaz skewed wide when slipped in by Morris.
The Rams made their early promise count in the 19th minute through a familiar source as Morris escaped Sean McLoughlin’s attention six yards out to skilfully glance Callum Elder’s corner inside the far post – his 10th of the campaign.
Rovers slowly edged themselves back into the game and a testing Taylor Gardner-Hickman corner was set to find Axel Henriksson at the far post only for Ebou Adams to take it off his toe.
Gardner-Hickman tried his luck from range four minutes before half-time, which whistled just over.
But Derby’s deliveries were a constant threat and they tightened their grip in the 45th minute when Joe Ward sent in a pinpoint right-wing cross towards Agyemang at the back post, and he outjumped Ryan Alebiosu to thunder a header into the top corner.
The second period started in the same frustrating pattern for Rovers but they were handed a lifeline when former loanee Dion Sanderson needlessly brought down Ohashi in the area. The Japanese forward picked himself up and buried his penalty down the centre for his third in his last five outings.
Blackburn peppered the Rams’ backline for the remainder of the game as Ohashi met a superb Hedges left-wing cross but Zetterstrom got down to save the header at the far post in the 83rd minute.
Lars-Jorgen Salvesen should have made the game secure with the last kick but he did not get enough on his shot when clean through and it was cleared.
