DERBY County beat Barnsley 2-1 on Easter Monday - but saw their automatic promotion hopes ended.
The Rams made it four wins in a row against the struggling Tykes.
However, Burnley clinched a return to the Premier League with victory over Wigan Athletic, which gave them an unassaibable lead over Steve McClaren's men.
Goals from Jeff Hendrick and Johnny Russell put Derby in control at the iPro Stadium.
Nick Proschwitz pulled one back for the visitors but Derby held on, despite Russell having a late penalty saved.
The home side were quickly out of the blocks from the first whistle.
After seven minutes, George Thorne's chip found Russell in the box but his angled shot was blocked by keeper Luke Steele.
Jamie Ward and Hendrick, both recalled to the starting line-up, each went close after combining well with target man Chris Martin.
Martin then headed over from Craig Bryson's cross from the left, while at the other end, former Derby man Tomasz Cywka forced Lee Grant into a save from a tight angle.
Russell had a great chance to put the Rams ahead after 21 minutes after a one-two with Ward set him free in the box but he shot narrowly wide from 12 yards with only Steele to beat.
Derby kept probing and just when there seemed no way through the Tykes defence, Hendrick decided to try his luck from 30 yards and Steele, perhaps thinking it was going wide, watched the ball fly into the corner of his net.
After 42 minutes, Russell let fly from 25 yards and the ball deflected up and over Steele to put the Rams 2-0 up.
Tom Kennedy's free kick was tipped over the bar by Grant two minutes into the second half.
But generally, the Rams looked comfortable, without adding to their lead.
Substitute Simon Dawkins saw a shot deflected narrowly wide, while Martin fired over, under pressure from Jean Yves M'Voto.
Left-back Craig Forsyth went close after 72 minutes, driving into the area before his shot just cleared the bar.
Forsyth then had a header cleared off the line by former Rams defender Lewin Nyatanga six minutes later.
Chris O'Grady tested Grant with a well-struck drive but 10 minutes from time, Proschwitz brought down a Nyatanga cross from the left and drilled low past the keeper from 10 yards.
Derby immediately won a penalty when Conor Sammon was chopped down in the box by M'Voto but Russell's spot kick was kept out by the legs of Steele.
Russell had a chance to make amends seconds later but curled a shot wide of the post.
In a frantic finale, Bryson was denied by Steele after a storming run from Forsyth - but there were no further goals.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Thorne (Eustace, 63), Hendrick, Bryson, Ward (Dawkins, 65), Russell, Martin. Other subs: Legzdins (gk), Whitbread, Hughes, Bamford, Sammon.
BARNSLEY: Steele, Kennedy, M'Voto, Cranie, Nyatanga, Cywka (Noble-Lazarus, 68), McCourt (Mellis, 46) Lawrence (Proschwitz, 72), Dawson, Jennings, O'Grady. Other subs: Turner (gk), Woods, Frimpong, Hassell.
REFEREE: G Scott (Oxfordshire).
ATTENDANCE: 26,046.
