Blackburn striker Danny Graham returns to haunt goal-shy Derby
Danny Graham returned to inflict further misery on Derby who lost at home for the fourth game in a row as Blackburn won 2-1 at the iPro Stadium.
The Rams had scored their first Sky Bet Championship goal at home this term to go in front through Matej Vydra but Marvin Emnes equalised with a deflected shot.
Graham, who failed to score during a loan spell with the East Midlands club earlier in his career, then grabbed the winner for Rovers with 17 minutes remaining.
The result leaves Derby, who started the season as one of the promotion favourites, in the bottom three while Blackburn's second straight Championship win moves them out of the drop zone.
Darren Bent replaced the injured James Wilson as Derby looked to improve on a record of only two goals in nine league games and the former England striker had a chance in the second minute when he miskicked after Cyrus Christie crossed from the right.
After an untidy opening, Derby had a good chance in the 19th minute when Ikechi Anya headed the ball back for Vydra who sliced his shot and Bent's overhead kick sent the rebound wide.
Derby had the ball in the net two minutes later when Vydra put Anya through on the left but an offside flag was raised and Jason Steele had to react quickly to turn a 20-yard shot from Jacob Butterfield behind for a corner in the 24th minute.
Anya's pace was causing Blackburn problems and Jason Lowe was booked in the 29th minute for a foul on the Scotland winger but the visitors broke dangerously two minutes later, only for Ben Marshall to fire wastefully over from the edge of the area.
Blackburn had a great chance to take the lead when Emnes was tripped by Richard Keogh but Marshall fired the penalty against a post and then put the rebound wide of an empty net, although it would not have counted as Scott Carson had not touched the ball.
It was still a let-off for Derby, who began the second half brightly with Will Hughes firing over from 25 yards and Vydra heading a Christie cross at Steele in the 54th minute.
The goal Derby had been waiting for finally arrived in the 69th minute when Anya played a clever pass into Vydra, who slipped a low shot past Steele from 12 yards.
But Blackburn replied immediately through Emnes, who was allowed to run at the defence before unleashing a shot that was deflected off Keogh and past Carson.
The game had now burst into life and Steele made a superb save to parry Vydra's downward header in the 72nd minute before Blackburn went in front with a superb goal.
A quick exchange of passes around the edge of the box ended with Emnes playing in Graham who coolly side-footed past Carson to leave Derby at the wrong end of the table.
Source: PA
