Derby County 2-1 Blackburn Rovers: Rams move off bottom of Championship

Having endured three defeats in three games since taking charge, Eustace was looking to avoid becoming the first Rams boss to ever lose his first four league matches.

Reunions can so often be awkward, and Blackburn’s first meeting with their former boss since he abandoned their push for promotion for a relegation battle with Derby was certainly that.

There were toy snakes being waved about by some Rovers fans, highlighting their displeasure with the way the 45-year-old left Ewood Park on 13 February.

It took just three minutes into his fourth match for Derby to get their first goal of the Eustace era, with Forsyth coming up with a sliding finish after Nat Phillips knocked a free-kick down into his path.

A low cross from Marcus Harness minutes later, which Liam Thompson was first to meet before it bobbled to the feet of Jerry Yates before eventually falling to Adams to finish, helped send Pride Park into an early frenzy.

Blackburn were without leading scorer Andreas Weimann, with the Austrian international’s season ended by a knee injury suffered in last week’s draw against Norwich, and it was his replacement, Yuki Ohashi, who helped pull a goal back before half-time.

While the Japan international was foiled by the feet of Rams goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom before the half-hour mark, he linked up with Tyrhys Dolan to tee up Gueye to slam home in the 40th minute.

It was only a moment earlier that Derby nearly had a third, with a poor pass from Dion Sanderson in his own box leaving goalkeeper Aynsley Pears to scramble and snatch the ball off Adams’ toe when an empty net was at his mercy.

Ohashi sent a volley over early in the second half as Rovers searched for an equaliser, while Phillips sent a header off target at the other end.

Gueye remained a Rovers threat throughout as they attempted to salvage something from the game, which Derby could have made comfortable if Yates had managed to make meaningful contact when a late chance fell to him at the back post.