PATRICK Bamford marked his Derby County home debut with the winning goal against Brighton & Hove Albion - as the Rams triumphed 1-0 at the iPro Stadium.
Bamford, on loan from Chelsea, came off the bench and his 76th-minute strike was enough to give Steve McClaren's men their first victory of 2014.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium in a tight encounter between two sides who began the day in the Championship play-off places.
Brighton started brightly, with midfielder Keith Andrews driving a low shot wide from 20 yards inside the opening minute.
It took Derby 22 minutes to muster their first attempt on goal, Jamie Ward cutting in from the left and curling a shot narrowly wide from just outside the box.
Four minutes later, Brighton almost took the lead when Matthew Upson powered a header goalwards from an Andrea Orlandi corner but Rams keeper Lee Grant acrobatically tipped the ball over the bar.
Derby ended the half well, with Ward's fierce volley blocked by namesake Stephen Ward and Simon Dawkins' dangerous low cross crucially cleared by Gordon Greer before Chris Martin could pounce.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with chances at a premium.
McClaren introduced Bamford and Jeff Hendrick in a bid to lift the home side.
It was a move that was to pay off as Bamford broke the deadlock after 76 minutes.
The goal came shortly after Conor Sammon replaced the injured Andre Wisdom, with Hendrick filling in at right-back.
Sammon was involved as Derby worked their way upfield. It looked like Brighton had got enough men back but when Ward was brought down just outside the box by Andrews, referee Andy Haines allowed play to continue and Bamford stroked a fine curling left-foot shot into the net.
Brighton might have levelled a couple of minutes later but Grant got down well to keep out Leonardo Ulloa's 10-yard effort.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom (Sammon, 73), Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Eustace, Bryson, Hughes (Hendrick, 59), J Ward, Dawkins (Bamford, 60), Martin. Other subs: Legzdins (gk), Keane, Whitbread, Bennett.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION: Kuszczak, Bruno, Upson, Greer, S Ward, Ince, Andrews, Forster-Caskey (Obika, 79), David Lopez (Augustien, 82), Orlandi (March, 68), Ulloa. Other subs: Brezovan (gk), Dunk, Calderon, Chicksen.
REFEREE: A Haines (Tyne & Wear).
ATTENDANCE: 25,392 (1,390 away fans).
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