Derby 4 - 0 Portsmouth

Derby ended a run of six games without a win in emphatic style as a dominant first-half display helped them to a 4-0 victory over Portsmouth, to move them seven points clear of their opponents and the drop zone.

The Rams won the second tier last time out in early November, while Pompey went on a four game unbeaten run – but this game went against the form book as Derby went 3-0 up in the first half an hour.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing created two of the goals, including the first for Kane Wilson after eight minutes, as the Derby captain crossed the wing to head home.

The hosts then showed their set piece expertise again when Eiran Cashin headed home from Kenzo Goudmijn's corner – for Derby's league-high 12th goal of the season.

It was even better six minutes later when Mendez-Laing's cross from the left was turned in by Ebou Adams – via a wicked trick from Tom McIntyre to take it into the far corner .

Portsmouth failed to register a shot on target throughout and their performance in the second half matched the misery of the first.

And a familiar face did the trick when former Pompey winger Marcus Harness was played down the right and after dancing through multiple defenders, his cross was turned into his own net by Marlon Pack.

It could have been worse when James Collins steered a good chance wide of the post while Pompey goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid did well to keep out Goudmijn and Curtis Nelson late on.

The visitors also almost had a funny goal when Schmid left Abdoulaye Kamara's back pass under pressure from substitute Kayden Jackson, but the striker got back to deflect it from the line.

But Derby had to settle for four – as they ended a four-game winless run at Pride Park and Paul Warne's side can now start looking up the table.