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Derby have taken 25 points from their last nine Championship matches

Darren Bent's penalty earned Derby an eighth win in nine Championship matches and ensured a second consecutive defeat for Birmingham boss Gianfranco Zola.

Following a lacklustre first half, increasing home pressure resulted in Bent confidently scoring after Michael Morrison bundled over Richard Keogh.

With Will Hughes outstanding in midfield, Derby continued to create.

But they did not need a second goal to secure a win which takes them to within a point of the play-off places.

The away side's best spell came in the final moments, but even then, the hosts had little trouble dealing with several hopeful crosses into the box.

A frantic first half was devoid of much goalmouth incident or quality in the final third and chances were limited throughout, with only three shots on target in the game,

Johnny Russell's clever ball in saw Bent head wide, before a neat turn and clever dinked pass by Hughes found Russell, but a lurking Bent could not get on the end of the first-time cross.

At the other end, Birmingham's Lukas Jutkiewicz badly miscued a shot when well placed before the interval.

The Rams played with greater urgency after half-time, with Hughes increasingly influential, and Bent's fourth goal of the season secured a sixth win in seven home games.

Derby County boss Steve McClaren: "We deserved that on our second-half display. It was hard in the first half and there was little space.

"We got better and stronger in the second half and upped the tempo, we created chances, got the goal and then defended well at the end to get the points

"Birmingham were waiting to be beaten and we took it to them.

"I did not expect to be in this position at this stage of the season when I took over. The boys have worked hard, reacted well and deserve all the credit."

Birmingham City boss Gianfranco Zola: "It's the second time we have lost a game to fine margins.

"It's especially painful today because it came from a soft penalty. I did not think it was a penalty and the referee was in a bad position to see the incident.

"That sort of thing happens all the time in the box, players put hands on each other like that and it happens every week. Normally these penalties are not given.

"They did not threaten us. We did not look threatening either and I think 0-0 would have been a fair result. The missing thing was the productivity in the final third."