Derby County 0-1 Luton Town: Hatters beat relegation rivals

While both Burnley and Sheffield United finished below that Hatters in the Premier League when they were relegated together last season, Luton have continued to plummet as the other two clubs are looking make immediate top-flight returns.

Victory against John Eustace’s resurgent Rams, however, has given their hopes of staying in the second tier a huge boost.

For Derby – who handed goalkeeper Josh Vickers his first start in eight months after number one Jacob Widell Zetterstrom was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of a facial injury – their second defeat in four games, after winning four in succession, means they will slip into the bottom three later on Friday if Cardiff beat promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

Alli put Luton ahead with cool finish in the midst of chaos in Derby’s penalty area after McGuinness prodded the ball back across goal when a flicked Carlton Morris header from a corner found the Republic of Ireland international at the back post.

It was forward’s second Luton goal since arriving from League One side Exeter City in January, and he celebrated the potentially season-defining strike with a somersault in front of the 3,000 travelling fans.

Derby lost forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to injury soon after and were fortune the first half did not get any worse for them, as Lamine Fanne wastefully blasted a chance over the bar from 12 yards out before Christ Makosso lashed an effort into the side netting for the visitors.

And while Derby did not manage to register a shot on target in the first 45 minutes, Yates did have a goal-bound effort crucially blocked by McGuinness in the second minute of stoppage time at the end the first half.

And after getting in the way of a Harness shot in the second half, McGuinness made it a hat-trick of interventions when he got back to scuff Wilson’s attempted finish away after the ball ricocheted into the defender’s path after Yates was denied by Kaminski.

Derby pressed relentlessly in search of a leveller, but Kaminski stood in the way.

He thrust a boot out to foil Jackson in the 78th minute, and showed great reflexes to keep a glanced Harness header out at point-blank range minutes later, to a chorus of groans from the home fans.