DERBY County's reliable home form served them well again last night as they beat struggling Bristol City and moved beyond the 50-point mark.
The recent run of eight games without a win dented Derby's season and the first task was to ensure there are no late-season alarms.
On the evidence of this routine 3-0 victory over the Championship's bottom club, that is not going to be an issue.
Back-to-back League wins for the first time since early December – they defeated Leicester City ahead of the international break – have taken the Rams to 51 points but Nigel Clough does not want to see his side crawl over the finish line.
The challenge facing the players in the final seven games is to finish the season strongly in their bid to repeat – at least – or improve on last season's 12th place.
Goals from Jeff Hendrick, top scorer Jamie Ward and substitute Ben Davies delivered Derby's 10th League win at Pride Park.
That leaves them one short of the 11 home wins last season with Ipswich Town, Peterborough United and Millwall still to visit.
There have also been seven draws at home and only three defeats. Teams know they face a big ask when they travel to Derby and Bristol City arrived with the worst away record in the division.
Gareth Roberts missed out again with a calf injury and so Craig Forsyth continued at left-back in an unchanged Derby team.
There was no place on the bench for James O'Connor, who returned to action for the under-21s in midweek after seven weeks out with a knee injury.
Former Rams players Steven Davies and Stephen Pearson made their first return to Pride Park. Davies started, as did Lewin Nyatanga, and Pearson was among the substitutes.
City recalled Sam Baldock up front while skipper Marvin Elliott started after what was described as a "planes, trains and automobiles" type of journey back after being on World Cup duty for Jamaica.
The Reggae Boyz played Panama in Kingston and away to Costa Rica in San Jose.
Some Jamaican weather would be very welcome and it was a bitterly cold evening at Pride Park, although referee Carl Boyeson did his best to warm things up from the first whistle.
He made his mark when he showed Rams midfielder Craig Bryson a yellow card when the Scot appeared to do no more than stumble. In no way was he looking for a free kick and yet the referee judged the player had dived.
The decision could be described as harsh – but it was more ridiculous.
Boyeson's next decision of note saw him award Derby a third-minute penalty after Hendrick's storming run was halted by Greg Cunningham.
Ward, Derby's top scorer, stepped up and his tame penalty barely troubled Tom Heaton, who was able to drop on the ball with some ease.
Ward whipped a shot narrowly wide and Bryson's surges had City at sixes and sevens in an energetic start by the Rams.
Another run from the Scot cut through City's shaky back line. He bundled the ball wide of Heaton and had the goal at his mercy, although the angle was narrowing all the time. He tried to slide the ball in but was denied by Elliott's terrific last-ditch challenge.
Both defences looked suspect to balls into the area during a frenetic, at times breathless, first 15 minutes.
Baldock was inches away from reaching a centre from Davies before Cole Skuse's drive flashed wide. In between, Paul Coutts' shot struck the outside of a post after good approach play by Hendrick and Conor Sammon.
Nobody was sure how the game was goalless with 30 minutes played. Derby had done everything but score, while City also had their moments on the counter attack.
Corners came Derby's way at regular intervals and most troubled City, so it was no surprise to see the Rams go ahead from a set-piece.
Ward's corner was cleared to the edge of the area from where Hendrick's instinct saw him cushion a volley back into the box. The ball found its way past a crowd of players and also a surprised Heaton, who seemed to see it late.
Hendrick also scored when the teams met at Ashton Gate in December, a game the Rams won 2-0.
Derby went in search of a second goal and Forsyth's excellent centre from the left curled behind City's back four but Martin just failed to reach the ball, despite being at full stretch.
Much of City's response in the first half came with shots from distance – one from Cunningham was not far off target – before Davies spotted Frank Fielding off his line only for his chip to sail over.
Derby needed only nine minutes of the second half to double their lead.
Davies was crowded out in his attempt to trouble the Rams and Hendrick broke before his pass released Sammon on a gallop down the right.
He collected the ball and squared to Ward, who took a touch before he rifled his shot low past Heaton. The goalkeeper got something on the ball but was beaten by the ferocity of the shot.
Ward has 12 goals in 21 games, a very healthy strike rate, and his latest showed Sammon's value to the team and why the Republic of Ireland international is in the side.
Hendrick impressed alongside Bryson in the middle of the pitch and the latter saw a goal-bound shot cleared by Nyatanga.
Skipper Richard Keogh blocked a drive from Skuse – just a little reminder to Derby, who made a change with 20 minutes to go.
Ward's work was done for the night and, thinking of his hamstring with Leeds away on Monday, he was replaced by Davies.
Having displayed his strengths in the build-up to the second goal, Sammon then had the crowd groaning when he somehow lifted the ball over from only a few yards out after he was set up by a peach of a cross from Martin.
He should have scored – as he will know – and his goals return of eight gives his critics ammunition, which is a pity because his all-round performance last night was good.
A clean sheet was very welcome, something preserved by Fielding's brilliant save from Liam Fontaine's header.
Derby moved straight down field and Davies, found on the left, moved towards goal and his shot from tight to the bye-line squeezed in at the near post, probably off a City player.
The result gives Derby their first double of the season.
