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Derby County resumed normal duty at Pride Park as they coasted to a 2-0 win over QPR thanks to two brilliant strikes from Curtis Nelson and Marcus Harness.

After losing their 100 per cent home record to Norwich last weekend, Paul Warne's side made it four wins out of five on their turf with a dominant display.

Both sides had struggled to create chances in the opening 15 minutes in a game that was mired in midfield skirmishes. But gradually gaps started to appear as Karamoko Dembele, who was linked to Derby in the summer, found space outside the area. The former Blackpool man turned and smashed a powerful 20-yard drive that drew a save from Jacob Widell Zetterstrom who tipped his effort over the bar.

That stung Derby into a response and before half-time, they started to go through the gears. After Jimmy Dunne had sliced a cross at his own goalkeeper, Craig Forsyth dragged a shot wide of the far post following a smart attack involving Marcus Harness and Kayden Jackson.

Kenzo Goudmijn then picked out the run of Mendez-Laing whose cross was cleared from under his own bar by Dunne and the best chance came when the winger picked up a pass from Jerry Yates and slipped a ball across the face of goal, but nobody was on hand to tap in.

But Derby started the second half with purpose as Mendez-Laing teed up Harness who feinted to shoot with his shot taking a deflection to go behind for a corner. Mendez-Laing aimed the corner into the box where Nelson, just inside the box, sent a header flying past Paul Nardi.

Derby fans had barely stopped celebrating before they made it 2-0 as Kayden Jackson crossed for Harness to sweep in a lovely finish into the top corner. Jerry Yates almost made it three when he met a Kane Wilson cross at the back post but Nardi kept it out at his near post. Rangers tried to make a game of it late on as Zetterstrom was forced into an outstanding save from Sam Field but there was no danger of Derby chucking three points away.

Here are all the talking points from the weekend....

Goudmijn looks a real find

After making the move from AZ Alkmaar in the summer, Kenzo Goudmijn may have been surprised by the pace of the Championship. It has understandably took him a couple of weeks to adapt but now that he is settled, he has demonstrated just why Derby were so keen to sign him.

Comfortable in tight spaces, his long and short-range passing is excellent and his brain is incredibly sharp. There was one moment in the first half where QPR tried to put him under pressure, but he moved away at speed, shifted his weight and comfortably set Derby on the attack. He was handed a more deeper role as a result of an injury to Ben Osborn, but his versatility has been impressive. He can play in the pivot, he has played as an eight and late on here he took Marcus Harness' place as the number 10.

He is a beautiful footballer to watch and he was comfortably the best player on the pitch in the way he looked after the ball. It's crazy to think that Derby only paid a six-figure fee for him in the summer which is already proving to be an absolute snip given what he is producing on the pitch. The most exciting aspect of this is that he is only 22 and is only going to get better. Derby have undoubtedly banked themselves a diamond.

Two brilliant goals

Nobody could dispute that Derby were well worth their victory against a QPR side that, on this evidence, could be in for a very long season. Only Karamoko Dembele could walk away with any real credit as a player who caused Derby any concern. Warne's side wore them down after an even 15 minutes and they really should have been ahead before half-time when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's cross-shot should have led to a tap-in.

But when the goals did come, they were certainly worth the wait. We have seen how dangerous Curtis Nelson is from set-pieces, but has he ever scored a better header than the one that punctured QPR's resistance? Surely not. The precision allied with the power from a few yards inside the area demonstrated brilliant technique. Even the players were impressed none more so than Marcus Harness who put his hands on his head as if to say 'how has he done that?'. That reaction alone told you it was a pretty special goal.

And while Derby fans had barely finished celebrating, Kayden Jackson rolled the ball across for Harness to sweep a lovely finish into the far corner to open his account. QPR tried to make a fist of it late on but in truth it would have been a travesty if QPR had taken something from the game.

Normal service resumed

After seeing Derby lose their 100 per cent home record against Norwich City in controversial circumstances last weekend, there was still a whiff of injustice lingering in the air. But Derby resumed normal service as they made it four wins out of five at Pride Park which has become a formidable stadium for opposing sides.

The Norwich defeat stung because if you are going to lose such an impressive run of results at home, then you at least want it to be fair and square.

But home is where the heart is as far as Derby are concerned and that's QPR, Middlesbrough, Cardiff City and Bristol City who have already been vanquished. There will be stiffer tests to come, but you just feel the way the fans and the players have connected at Pride Park this season means they will be a match for anyone.

Derby have the last laugh

In fairness to QPR fans, they made plenty of racket and much of it was aimed at Derby's expense, particularly with chants about Bobby Zamora in reference to that Championship play-off final all those years ago.

They also had a take on Derby's 'ole ole' chant, but the words shall not be repeated here as it is a family show. But in the end, it was Derby who had the last laugh and they took great pride in turning the tables when they moved into a two-goal lead.

And it will have felt extremely sweeter in the fact that former Nottingham Forest defender Steve Cook, who laughed at Derby's expense on social media when they failed to reach the playoffs in the 2022/23 season, had a long afternoon. Some of the black and white army were quick to Tweet him after the game and the lesson here was clear. Football fans never ever forget.

What was your verdict on the performance? Have your say HERE.

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