Derby goalkeeper Josh Vickers produced a superb performance as his team dug deep to beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at Pride Park.
Vickers made a string of outstanding saves after Kayden Jackson had punished a Boro mistake to give Derby a first-half lead.
Boro dominated possession and created numerous chances, but a combination of Vickers and poor finishing left them empty-handed.
For Vickers it was a statement display after Derby signed Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom from Djurgarden on Friday.
His handling was faultless, while the defence in front of him stood firm against wave after wave of Boro attacks.
Derby started the game with Zetterstrom on the bench after his arrival on a three-year deal and, given the quality of Vickers’ performance, the Swede might have to wait for an opportunity.
Middlesbrough’s latest recruit, striker Tommy Conway, also watched from the bench as his new team-mates went close in the ninth minute, Emmanuel Latte Lath just failing to convert Isaiah Jones’s ball at the back post.
But Jones sold his team short with a weak back pass in the 14th minute which allowed Jackson to sprint clear and round Seny Dieng to score.
Derby had to make a change at the back in the 20th minute, with Sonny Bradley coming on as a concussion subsitute for Eiran Cashin, who took a blow to the head.
The red shirts were swarming around Derby’s box and Vickers pushed out a shot from Finn Azaz, who was just off target with another effort.
Derby were struggling to live with Boro’s movement and Vickers made another fine save to deny Jones in first-half stoppage time.
Azaz again went close at the start of the second half before Vickers tipped over a 25-yard drive from Hayden Hackney in the 65th minute.
Vickers was beaten by a Delano Burgzorg header, but the offside flag was up, while the attacker saw a deflected shot come back off a post minutes later.
It was starting to look like one of those days for Boro as Burgzorg and Hackney fired wide from inviting positions.
Derby were penned back but they defended superbly, throwing bodies in the way, in the face of unrelenting Boro pressure.
The visitors brought on Conway, but the Scot could not provide the cutting edge the visitors lacked as Derby clung on through five nerve jangling minutes of added time to claim their first victory back in the Championship.
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