DERBY County celebrated a seventh successive win as they defeated Doncaster Rovers 3-1 at the iPro Stadium.
Strikes from Jamie Ward, Simon Dawkins and Craig Bryson ensured the Rams claimed yet another three points.
Doncaster's reply came courtesy of a Jake Buxton own goal.
Derby lost skipper Richard Keogh to first-half injury, while Chris Martin also saw a penalty saved.
Martin glanced a header wide from Ward's eighth-minute free kick but Derby opened the scoring shortly afterwards.
Doncaster failed to deal with Craig Forsyth's high ball forward in the 13th minute, allowing Martin to play an incisive pass to Ward, who finished low past Ross Turnbull from eight yards out for his seventh goal of the season.
Keogh appeared to fall awkwardly on his knee following an aerial challenge and while he was off the pitch, Richie Wellens stung the palms of Lee Grant with a 25-yarder.
Keogh tried to continue but was replaced by Michael Keane with 25 minutes on the clock.
The Rams were awarded a penalty when Martin was felled by Luke McCullough in the box.
But Martin's 36th-minute spot kick was saved well by Turnbull, diving low to his right.
In a frantic start to the second half, Keane somehow headed Ward's free kick wide from close range.
At the other end, former Derby striker Theo Robinson fired inches wide and then got the better of Buxton, only for Grant to block the shot with his body.
Doncaster could have been level but, moments later, found themselves two down as the Rams broke quickly in the 50th minute.
Dawkins showed great pace to burst through the middle before coolly chipping the ball past Turnbull from 15 yards.
Ward almost scored a third, hitting the post as he tried to convert Forsyth's low cross from the left after 61 minutes.
But the visitors were back in the game three minutes later, as Buxton's header scewed into his own net, off the post.
Federico Macheda and Mark Duffy both sent shots wide as Doncaster searched for an equaliser.
But, crucially, the next goal went Derby's way, 13 minutes from time.
Martin fed Bryson, who wriggled his way across the box before rolling a neat low shot into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.
That finally ended Doncaster's resistance and the Rams go marching on.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh (Keane, 25), Buxton, Forsyth, Eustace (Hendrick, 67), Hughes, Bryson, Dawkins, Ward (Russell, 77), Martin. Other subs: Legzdins (gk), Cisse, Bennett, Sammon.
DONCASTER ROVERS: Turnbull, Quinn (Wakefield, 67), McCullough, Khumalo, Stevens, Woods (Forrester, 57), Wellens, Furman, Duffy, Robinson, Brown (Macheda, 41). Other subs: Maxted (gk), Cotterill, De Val, Yun Suk-Young.
REFEREE: N Miller (County Durham).
ATTENDANCE: 26,314.
