DERBY County beat Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers 1-0 on Monday night to move within a point of an automatic promotion place.
John Eustace's 20th-minute header gave the Rams all three points at the iPro Stadium.
Steve McClaren's men remain fourth but have closed the gap on the two teams above them - QPR and Burnley.
Eustace sent Patrick Bamford clean through after only 60 seconds but the striker delayed his shot too long, allowing Aaron Hughes to block.
Derby almost went ahead in bizarre style in the 13th minute - but Rob Green tipped the ball over the bar after Clint Hill's clearance was charged down by Jake Buxton.
The Rams did take the lead when Will Hughes' corner was punched away by Green but only as far as Eustace, whose looping header found the net.
QPR felt Chris Martin had impeded Gary O'Neil on the line but the goal was allowed to stand.
Derby lost Jamie Ward to injury just before the break - he was replaced by Johnny Russell.
QPR might have levelled in the 44th minute when O'Neil picked out the unmarked Aaron Hughes in the box but Lee Grant pushed away his downward header.
At the other end, Green allowed a Benoit Assou-Ekotto backpass to roll under his foot but the keeper recovered before Bamford could pounce.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp made a double change at the break and the visitors looked more of a threat in the second half, though Derby went close through Buxton, who glanced a header wide from a Will Hughes free kick.
Joey Barton forced Grant into action after 63 minutes, the keeper producing a fine diving save to keep out the midfielder's 20-yard strike.
With 20 minutes to go, Eustace made a vital block to keep out Niko Kranjcar's goalbound header, from an Assou-Ekotto corner.
Junior Hoillett fired into the side-netting in the 83rd minute as QPR threw everything forward in search of an equaliser.
But the Rams held firm, defending heroically to the end.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Eustace, Bryson, W Hughes (Hendrick, 68), Ward (Russell, 42), Bamford (Sammon, 81), Martin. Other subs: Legzdins (gk), Whitbread, Thorne, Bennett.
QUEENS PARK RANGERS: Green, A Hughes, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto, Kranjcar, Carroll (Jenas, 79), Barton, O'Neil (Hoillett, 46), Johnson (Maiga, 46), Doyle. Other subs: Murphy (gk), Traore, Onuoha, Henry.
REFEREE: M Naylor (South Yorkshire).
ATTENDANCE: 23,495 (541 away fans).
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