Derby manager Paul Warne watched his players reward him for giving them Christmas Day off as they picked up a 1-0 victory at League One strugglers Wigan.

Curtis Nelson headed home the only goal in the 19th minute, but only the brilliance of Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle kept the scoreline respectable.

And Warne – whose side have now won seven of their last eight matches – was a happy man after subjecting one of his former clubs to a third defeat on the spin.

“It was the most pleasing performance of the season, because it was away from home against good opposition and probably the best we’ve played collectively,” he said.

“Even at the end I was making substitutions just to help the lads out, not for any other reason.

“Wigan have taken a couple of good scalps here, so we knew we would have to do a lot out of possession.

“It takes a real understanding of the game, and they’ve been well coached this week to understand how we wanted it to look.

“But then they changed their shape which made it more difficult.

“I just liked the energy and the drive of the team. There were tackles and heads when it was needed. There was also a bit of creativity and some really good performances.

“I gave them Christmas Day off and I wanted them to show me it was the right decision. They paid back my trust in them.”

Warne’s only gripe would have been that the game was not put to bed during the utterly one-sided first half.

“Sometimes you perform at a level then it can all go wrong, so I was anxious,” he added.

“When one down, you throw the kitchen sink and that’s what makes football.”

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney took full responsibility for the disappointing first half that paved the way for the Rams’ victory.

Due to injuries, illness and unavailability, Maloney’s starting XI featured seven academy graduates – with an average age between them of just over 21.

Maloney made a double change at the break, sending on the more experienced Callum McManaman and Jonny Smith, which led to a second half that was far more even, but the damage had been done.

“It kind of felt like two performances in one game, one in each half,” he assessed.

“But I can’t be too critical of the players in that first half, I have to take that one.

“I think I was over-reliant on too many young players in that first half.

“Those young players have been brilliant for me and this football club since I’ve been here, and they’ll definitely come again, that’s for sure.

“Derby are a really good side, good squad, very experienced, a match for anyone at this level.

“Normally when you’re bringing young players in, you’re wanting to drip them in, when the team is in good form.

“In the second half – apart from the first five minutes, when they had a couple of chances – I felt it was much better.

“It felt like we went toe to toe with Derby, and there wasn’t much between the two teams in the second half.”

Paul Warne wants his Derby team to be “braver” despite closing in on the top two with a 3-1 win over Lincoln.

Derby’s head coach brought on Kane Wilson for the second half and he scored and set up the third goal which sealed a sixth win in seven games.

Conor Hourihane gave Derby a 26th-minute lead with a drive from just inside the area after Lincoln failed to clear a Joe Ward cross.

But Ward gave away a penalty in stoppage time when he tripped Paudie O’Connor and Danny Mandroiu confidently put away the spot kick.

Wilson replaced Ward and he restored Derby’s lead in the 65th minute with a looping header from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s cross.

Wilson then delivered a precise pass in the 77th minute that sent James Collins through to score with a low shot inside Lukas Jensen’s far post.

Derby are now one point behind second placed Peterborough but Warne said: “We didn’t do enough with the ball first half, we didn’t play with enough personality, we weren’t brave  enough.

“I would like us to play with a bit more personality. I just feel we have another gear and I just think we have to keep trying to get better.

“I was disappointed with how we started the game and I appreciate the opposition make it difficult but it still didn’t feel like we had the purpose I think we need to have in our play to go up as champions potentially.

“I want to get in the top two, I want the lads to want to get in the top two and they give me everything at times but tonight I didn’t think we were brave enough. You have to be positive with your decisions and I thought we were just a bit too safe.”

Lincoln head coach Michael Skubala said: “Disappointed by the outcome. We did well to get in at half-time at one all and I thought we started the second half brightly.

“But you can’t come away to places like this and concede on a set-piece. You work so hard, then concede on a set piece and then it’s always going to be a difficult place to try and push.

“I felt like at times we had moments where we could have been better with the final pass and in transition when we won it back we needed to be a bit tidier. We carried a little bit of a threat tonight but we still need to do better.

“It’s a tough place to come, they have experienced players and we’ve got to grow up in moments as a team but disappointed at the outcome.”

Paul Warne blamed poor decision making for the late penalty which denied his Derby team victory against Wycombe.

The Derby head coach saw Tom Barkhuizen’s late goal cancelled out in the sixth minute of stoppage time by a Luke Leahy penalty.

Wycombe had set out to frustrate Derby from the start and their tactics worked for much of the game which was refereed by Rebecca Welch, who next Saturday will become the first woman to take charge of a Premier League game.

She was busy in the opening 30 minutes, booking five players, as the game degenerated into a scrappy contest with few moments of quality.

The first real chance did not arrive until the 64th minute when Eiran Cashin met a Max Bird corner with a powerful header that brought a superb save on the line from Max Stryjek.

Derby thought they had secured a sixth straight League One victory when Barkhuizen scored from close range after Stryjek could only parry a low shot from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

But Wycombe hit back with what proved to be the last act of the game when David Wheeler went down under Joe Ward’s challenge and Leahy held his nerve to beat Joe Wildsmith.

Warne said: “That was tough to take. Our first-half performance we didn’t deserve any more than we got. I was disappointed with how we played, we had no ball speed, we didn’t have any assertiveness in the game.

“We had a bit more purpose second half and possibly did enough to win it. We weren’t at our best today and if you can win when you’re not at your best then great but there was a catastrophe of errors in the last 30 seconds which cost us two points.

“With five minutes to go we are still trying to cross the ball and get a second goal when you can just keep it, just win throw-ins and let the clock burn out. I just thought that for an experienced team we made some poor decisions late on.”

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield summed up his feelings at avoiding what would have been a fifth straight defeat when he said: “Just elation I think.

“The effort the boys put into the performance today, the application and the quality we showed at times to come away from home in a big stadium against a hugely historic club, I’m so proud of the boys for the discipline they put in.

“We changed shape and the boys have worked diligently all week so it would have been a travesty if we hadn’t got anything from the game for the discipline they showed.

“These lads are a group of special people and they showed tremendous character.”

Paul Warne could not contain his delight after watching his Derby side complete a comfortable 3-0 League One win at 10-man Leyton Orient, their first victory at Brisbane Road since the 1964-65 season.

The Rams had gone ahead in the first half with a sublime strike from Louie Sibley before Orient defender Brandon Cooper was sent off for elbowing James Collins.

After the interval, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and substitute Tom Barkhuizen netted one apiece to earn the visitors their fifth-successive league win as they moved up a spot to fifth.

“Obviously I’m very pleased,” Warne said. “We’re in it to win games of course and it’s good to see the lads in good fettle.

“They are good friends on and off the pitch and I think the team plays better when you have that in the dressing room. We have real confidence and you need that to win games and I thought we were handsome for the win.

“It was a really good day at the office. We could have played better in parts of the game but it’s all about winning so when you come away from home and keep a clean sheet and win then I don’t think you can have too many complaints as a manager.

“I liked the fact we won the game, scored three goals and created lots of chances.

“Our third one was a counter-attack from their corner and I enjoyed seeing six of my players running like the wind to get on the end of it. We were pretty solid and energetic but to be successful we need to be striving to the next level.

Orient coach Matt Harrold reflected: “I thought that we started the game great and things happened in the first 10 minutes which we worked on in training where we were on the front foot and everything was OK.

“But then they score a goal – probably against the run of play – and at the minute things are going against us and so it’s kind of where we are at the moment.

“Last week we were poor at Chesterfield but I thought we put on a good performance today but we’re giving ourselves a mountain to climb by conceding a goal and then losing a player to a red card which has a big bearing on the result.

“At two-nil down, we score one but have it ruled out for offside and then Derby score a third where we just not good enough and it’s those details against good teams where we have to be much, much better.”

Harrold had no complaints about the dismissal of Cooper.

“At the time I wasn’t sure as my view was the other side but having watched our red card again, I don’t think we can have any complaints and it doesn’t look good on the video,” he admitted.

Paul Warne was glad Tyrese Fornah ignored him and set up Derby’s winning goal in a 2-1 League One victory over Bristol Rovers.

The midfielder delivered the pass that Nathaniel Mendez-Laing put away in the last minute to take Derby into the top six.

It ended Rovers’ six-game unbeaten run in all competitions but for long periods the visitors looked like frustrating Derby.

In a scrappy first half, the away side came closest to scoring when a Grant Ward shot was touched onto the post by Joe Wildsmith.

Mendez-Laing produced a moment of quality Derby needed in the 66th minute when he went past Josh Grant on the right and whipped in a low cross which Jack Hunt could only turn into his own net.

Derby missed chances to score a second and Rovers looked to have earned a point in the 87th minute when former Rams striker Chris Martin headed in an Antony Evans free-kick.

But Fornah had other ideas and three minutes later, picked out Mendez-Laing who fired a low shot from the centre of the box past Matthew Cox.

Warne said: “He’s (Fornah) been on international duty. It was good to have him back and he looked as if he had a bit of a spring in his step.

“He came on today and was a real force. The first goal, if you watch it back you’ll see him running into the box like an absolute whippet and if Jack Hunt hadn’t connected, he probably would have scored.

“For the second goal – in fairness to him – I’m glad he didn’t listen to me because I wanted him to give it to Nat (Mendez-Laing) straight away and he didn’t.

“I’m thinking ‘what’s he doing’ and then he gives it back to Nat and I’m thinking ‘that’s what he’s doing, I get it’! He was excellent and played a big part in our win.

“We changed the shape at half-time. Created enough chances to win but if you’ve only got one goal, you’re always susceptible to an equaliser so then to get a late winner is great.”

Rovers interim manager Andy Mangan said: “It’s tough. First half, I thought everything went to plan, we frustrated them, hit them on the counter and had chances.

“I’m gutted for the lads because I think they deserved more, I thought everything we planned came to fruition. Mistakes happen in games but we’ve got to cut that out.

“But I thought we had some really good moments and I think that’s probably up there with the best performance since I’ve been in charge.

“Unfortunately, we’ve made a couple of mistakes but there were loads of moments we can take great confidence from.”

Derby head coach Paul Warne described the 3-0 home win over Barnsley as “a boost for the dressing room.”

Barnsley came into the game unbeaten on the road this season but that run was ended by a James Collins brace and a Craig Forsyth goal.

The game was reasonably even up to the 35th minute when Jordan Williams pushed over Collins in the box and the striker got up to tuck away the penalty.

Derby rammed home that advantage in the second half when they twice caught Barnsley out with long free-kicks from goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith.

On both occasions, Forsyth got in behind Barnsley on the left when the ball was flicked on, firing low past Ben Killip in the 48th minute and then forcing the goalkeeper into an acrobatic save in the 63rd before Collins chested in the rebound.

Barnsley had a chance to get back in it but John McAtee fired wide after Devante Cole’s pass set him up in the 52nd minute.

Warne said: “I thought the first half was really tight, I didn’t think either team was really in the ascendancy and it felt like one of those games that was going to come down to small margins.

“Massive credit to the players, they were excellent today. It’s about the dressing room, the lads feel good about it.

“I’ve been saying all week I thought they were going to win, not from an arrogant point of view but I just felt it, I could see the lads in training taking the information on.

“It’s a boost for the dressing room obviously and the lads back themselves when they are at their best and today they were and we could have competed against anyone.”

Barnsley slipped to sixth in League One, now level on points with Derby.

Head coach Neill Collins said: “Up until the third goal, I didn’t think there was anything in the game.

“We were behind to the penalty at half-time which I thought was more than recoverable but the second and third goals, to lose goals to direct play and you’re 3-0 down.

“I thought there was nothing between the teams, there wasn’t really clear-cut chances for either team, it was a good tight game but then it quickly unfolded because we didn’t deal with direct play.

“We have dealt with that type of play and we’ve kept a lot of clean sheets but you’re coming up against a better calibre of opposition today and we just didn’t deal with it and that was the one aspect which was really frustrating.

“At times, had we shown a little more devilment and intensity it could have been there for us in the first 60 minutes but we didn’t.”

Paul Warne understands why Derby supporters voiced their frustrations towards the end of his side’s 3-1 defeat at Stevenage.

Boro fully deserved to record a first win in four league games which lifted them up to sixth in the Sky Bet League table.

Derby, though, are so far not living up to their pre-season expectations, with a second straight away defeat hard to take for many of the travelling fans who made their feelings towards Warne clear.

“The fans who came aren’t happy; they’re not happy with me, they’re not happy with the football, they’re not happy with everything, and I understand that,” Warne said.

“We are not in this league to come to Stevenage and lose or underperform, and it is a disappointing day for everyone involved at the football club.

“We just weren’t good enough to beat Stevenage, who I didn’t underestimate, but just in moments we weren’t strong enough.

“If I am truly honest, I have never had to manage a group where your own fans give it to you and I appreciate their frustrations.

“We’ve been honest with the lads there, saying what we think, and we will have to try and bounce back Tuesday (against Northampton) and put a performance on.

“What is obvious for anyone who knows anything about football is we have got a soft underbelly.”

Jordan Roberts gave Stevenage the lead with a thumping strike after a free-kick was teed up for him in the 32nd minute, but that was soon cancelled out by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s neat finish.

Alex MacDonald then put the Boro ahead from a free-kick right at the end of the first half, which beat Derby goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith for pace.

Boro then secured victory with six minutes left when Kane Hemmings opened his account from Luther James-Wildin’s ball across goal.

Stevenage boss Steve Evans said: “We fully respected and acknowledged how good the opposition were.

“They are, in my opinion, the biggest team in League One and arguably if they’re in the Championship you could be saying the same.

“We knew we had to match them in every area and I think we’ve done that and more today.

“We should have won by more, but we don’t fail to recognise that for Stevenage to beat Derby County in a league fixture is for the whole town really.

“It is tremendous for us and I don’t really have a thought towards Derby other than that they are a terrific side.

“It is more hand-to-mouth here and we have to find a way to compete at the level we have come up into.”

Paul Warne was delighted for striker James Collins after he scored his 200th goal in club football during Derby’s 2-0 win over Carlisle.

The Republic of Ireland international’s brilliant brace secured the Rams their first win at Carlisle since 1957.

Collins’ milestone came with a fine instinctive first-half finish before the 32-year-old wrapped up the points at Brunton Park with an emphatic late penalty.

Warne, who has a quartet of strikers to keep happy at Pride Park, said: “We always try and pick a team to win and I thought the team would win with Collo in it.

“Starting him paid off. He was really good. He led the line really well.

“You need a physical presence up there when other players aren’t having their best game, and I thought Collo was the standout.

“I’m really pleased for him. He lives right, trains right. He’s the best version of himself. I’d have loved him 10 years ago!

“He’s a great guy and the lads love him in the dressing room so they’re really pleased he’s got a brace. It’s a nice day for him.

“Every player thinks they should play every minute of every game.

“It’s not easy, I have to have disappointing conversations and disappoint people, but that’s my job.

“I’m pretty pleased. I didn’t think we were amazing, but this is League One. You come away and you have to be resilient.

“We’ve felt sorry for ourselves in recent weeks. Great teams dig in when they need to and I think we defended well.”

Carlisle had their chances and on another day could have got something out of the game.

Jordan Gibson’s strike slipped through Joe Wildsmith’s fingers but only hit the crossbar before Luke Plange’s effort came back off a post.

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson said: “You look at the players they’re bringing on and they’re really effective players.

“I always felt we looked like we’d get something out of it and the disappointing thing is that we didn’t show that in the second half.

“What we have to do is take that belief from what we did in the first half and get the momentum back from the last three games and that first half.

“We didn’t do enough second half and didn’t build on that momentum we had in the first half.

“They showed their experience, their nous and in the end it was a fairly comfortable second half for them.

“I was disappointed. I thought we were in it first half and deserved to be level at half-time.

“We created opportunities and caused them problems. We didn’t have that little bit of luck with Jordan Gibson’s shot and Luke Plange’s shot against the post.”

Derby head coach Paul Warne described his side as a “nearly team” after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Oxford.

Mark Harris was the matchwinner for the second time in four days as Oxford deservedly took the points at Pride Park.

The visitors went ahead in the 32nd minute when Curtis Nelson gave the ball away and Cameron Brannagan played in Harris to fire into the top-right corner.

Derby were better after the break but needed a great save from Joe Wildsmith to deny Billy Bodin in the 64th minute although Oxford’s clever movement and precise passing was rewarded eight minutes later.

Another slick move ended with Bodin setting up Harris to beat Wildsmith with a low drive.

Derby gave themselves hope when Martyn Waghorn reduced the arrears in the 87th minute but it was not enough to prevent a third home defeat of the season.

Warne said: “We seem to be at the moment, and I include myself because I’m at the front of it, to be a nearly team.

“We nearly score off a set-piece, we nearly score off one across the box, we nearly pick out a man, we’re nearly a lot better but at the moment we’re not.

“It’s disappointing, it wasn’t us at our best, I thought we looked nervy first half which surprised me because three-quarters of the team were here last year.

“Oxford are a strong team and I think they’ll be up there come the end of the season but whether we showed them a bit too much respect and we keep giving teams a little lift at the moment.

“We were poor tonight and just had too many players off it and we need to get back to it very quickly.”

Oxford head coach Liam Manning said: “I think what you see is a group of players working hard for each other and fighting for the club.

“For me, some of the most impressive stuff tonight was how we defended set-pieces. We stood up to it, we showed bravery, we showed discipline and a real spirit which for me is really important.

“It was an important message at half-time not to try and hold on to 1-0 because when you come to a place like this with the strength they have in their squad if you try and see out a 1-0 for 45 minutes I think you’ll be in trouble.

“So I think the lads did a tremendous job of defending when we had to but showing quality in transition and showing quality to keep the ball. I think collectively we were excellent.”

Derby boss Paul Warne was happier with the result than his side’s performance against Burton as they won 3-0 for their first Sky Bet League One victory of the season.

After two poor performances coming into the game, Warne felt that the Rams, who are expected to challenge for automatic promotion, are settling and looking to improve.

“I didn’t think we were great,” he admitted after watching James Collins, Conor Hourihane and substitute Conor Washington net for a first win at the home of the Brewers.

“We were good second half but not so good in the first half. We lost a little bit in the middle of the park, but I thought we created enough chances today to win. Weirdly we scored the early goal and then it was all Burton, it felt like.

“The conditions weren’t great, and it felt like one of those days with lots of corners and throw ins coming in that something was going to drop for them.

“We are still not exactly where we want to be but it is early in the season and it always takes a few weeks to really get it smooth.

“But once the pressure was off them with the early goal they expressed themselves a little bit and looked a really classy outfit. Hopefully they can carry this on into the games coming up.”

Burton boss Dino Maamria refused to be downhearted despite ending the first week of the season with two league defeats.

“What a bizarre game of football,” Maamria said. “We lose that 3-0 and yet we dominated. Ultimately they scored in key moments.”

The game was evenly poised at 1-0 but sloppy defending cost the Brewers dear as Derby countered to finish with a flattering scoreline.

“We gifted them two goals when we tried to put them under pressure but for the first 78 minutes, we were the dominant team,” Maamria added.

“Derby defended well but I felt that goals were coming for us but the second and third goals really killed us, giving the ball away when we were committing bodies forward.”

Albion had chances in the first half with Sam Hughes going close twice and Maamria feeling his side should have had two penalties with Derby getting the rub of the green with several refereeing decisions.

“If the early penalty shout on Rekeem Harper is given then it could have been a different game,” Maamria said.

“Despite the result that is the best performance so far and we played with total energy and commitment from kick-off.

“Goals make all the difference but sometimes you get the rub of the green and Derby definitely had that today and they probably can’t believe their luck.”

Derby County head coach Paul Warne admitted he was “embarrassed” by his team’s Carabao Cup exit at home to Blackpool.

Warne’s side were booed off at half-time after two goals from Jake Beesley gave Blackpool control they never relinquished.

Beesley pounced in the seventh minute when Derby’s defence failed to deal with a cross from the left and after Owen Dale missed a great chance for a second, a defensive howler gifted Blackpool another.

Callum Elder’s 32nd-minute back header beat goalkeeper Josh Vickers, leaving Beesley to fire into an empty net.

Derby improved after the break and although Conor Washington forced Richard O’Donnell into a save in the 55th minute, a comeback never looked likely.

Warne said: “They were better than us from one to 11, they embarrassed us at times in the first half, we were deplorable with our performance.

“I openly admit I was embarrassed, I’ve never managed a team that’s been booed off at half-time and rightly so. The second half was significantly better but way below what we expect.

“The first half was honestly painful to watch, it’s hard for me to say because they are my team but I can’t sugar-coat performances like that.”

Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley was delighted with his side’s performance at their Sky Bet League One rivals.

“I thought we were excellent first half in and out of possession and played some really good football,” he said.

“Second half I thought we defended very well, I’d just like to see us see the game out with a little bit more possession and keep the ball more than what we did, we turned the ball over too many times.

“But to score two goals and keep a clean sheet, it’s been a good start for us. We had good control, good spells of possession and we were always dangerous.”

Derby boss Paul Warne admitted he felt “heartbroken” after his team were pipped to the final League One play-off spot following a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Rams were overtaken by Peterborough on the final day of the regular season after captain Curtis Davies’ 41st-minute red card led to the only goal of the game – a penalty converted by Michael Smith, who helped Warne win promotion with Rotherham last term.

Davies’ dismissal could be his last act in a Derby shirt with the 38-year-old defender out of contract this summer, although Warne argued that the sending off was a mistake by referee Leigh Doughty.

The County boss said: “The penalty was disappointing because we had an opportunity to clear the ball and didn’t, but I don’t think it should have been a red card because we had a defender covering on the line and our keeper was on the right side of the ball.

“Curtis has had his head in his hands since the final whistle, but he’s been brilliant leading the troops on and off the pitch and has put his body on the line so many times and I feel for him.

“I really feel for the lads too because, for large parts of the game, with 11 men and 10, I thought we were the better team and the lads left everything out there.

“Then, at the end, you see Sheffield Wednesday v Peterborough on the scoreboard and, whilst I’m proud to be the lads’ manager, I’m heartbroken for them.

“We made positive changes from the bench because we had to be aggressive and we had a few good chances, but it wasn’t to be.”

Wednesday were already guaranteed to finish third in the table, having seen their automatic promotion bid scuppered by a six-game winless run from mid-March.

But the Owls go into the play-offs having won their last four contests and on an unbeaten run of 23 home games, with manager Darren Moore saying: “To finish on 96 points and break all sorts of club records is testament to the work everyone has put in.

“It could have been easy to rest a few players, but every game matters at Sheffield Wednesday and we want that winning culture.

“We don’t want to rest on our laurels and we wanted to go full tilt before dusting ourselves down for the play-offs. When Hillsborough is in full voice like it was today, you have to go a long way to find another club like it and the supporters drove us on in this match.

“For them to then stay behind after the game to show their appreciation to the team was a special moment.”

On Smith netting his 20th goal of the season, Moore added: “To get your striker scoring 20 goals is huge and shows what a wonderful signing he was.

“I also think if Josh (Windass) had stayed fit, he would have got 20 goals too.”