Kenzo Goudmijn’s first-half goal earned Derby a ninth straight home league win a hard-fought 1-0 victory against bottom side Cardiff at Pride Park.
Goudmijn scored the game’s only goal after 28 minutes with a first-time finish from Callum Elder’s low ball into the box to settle the contest after Rams goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom had made a string of fine saves in the first half.
Victory extends Derby’s fine run at home, while Cardiff remain bottom of the table having failed to win any of their opening five league matches.
Cardiff were almost gifted the opening goal early on as Wilfried Kanga looked to pounce on Eiran Cashin’s short back pass, only for Zetterstrom to make a crucial challenge after which he required treatment.
The Bluebirds went close again soon after as Zetterstrom pushed Rubin Colwill’s powerful effort from just inside the penalty area to safety after the visitors won possession high up the pitch.
However, Derby broke the deadlock when Goudmijn finished Elder’s low cross from the left into the bottom right corner from 10 yards after he was left unmarked in the box.
Derby keeper Zetterstrom then produced an outstanding double save to first prevent Cashin’s header from finding his own net and then react quickly to turn Dimitrios Goutas’ follow-up behind from close range.
The Rams almost doubled their lead towards the end of the first half as Elder saw his cross from the right flash across the face of goal and inches past the far post, with Cardiff keeper Jak Alnwick at full stretch.
Derby went close again on the stroke of half-time as Jerry Yates played a superb diagonal ball into the path of former Cardiff man Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who forced Alnwick into a smart save low down to his right.
Chances were at a premium early in the second half as Cardiff’s Anwar El Ghazi curled a shot well wide from distance after cutting in from the left, while Goudmijn saw his teasing cross from the right evade everyone in the box at the other end.
The game burst into life again just past the hour mark when Yates’ clever flick released Kayden Jackson in the box, with Alnwick equal to the striker’s powerful low effort.
The visitors searched for an equaliser late on as Colwill played in substitute Ollie Tanner down the right-hand side of the area, only for the latter to blaze a shot over the crossbar.
Cardiff forced a late corner after Zetterstrom made an acrobatic save, from which Derby broke on the counter-attack as Ebou Adams beat Alnwick to a bouncing ball with the keeper well off his line.
However, Adams somehow shot wide with the goal at his mercy and an empty net in front of him.
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