Two late goals saw the Rams' under-18 side go down to a 4-2 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest last weekend.
It meant the Reds extracted a modicum of revenge for their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Derby earlier in the season.
Aaron Dillon had put David Lowe's side on their way with a goal in the tenth minute of the Group D FA Premier Academy League encounter.
Forest were back in it through Tim Hopkinson on 25, and the same player put them ahead for the first time three minutes after the break.
Derby needed a response and found one through Arnaud Mendy (pictured) with 20 to go but Hopkinson took his tally to four with two more goals in the final ten minutes.
The Rams now travel to Manchester City on Saturday for the first of five inter-group matches to round off their season.
Line-up: Jake Kean, Mark O'Brien, Mark Dudley, Kallum Keane, Jermaine Johnson, Arnaud Mendy, Greg Mills, Jeff Hendrick (Aaron Cole 65), Henrik Ojamaa, Graham Kelly, Aaron Dillon (Andrew Spencer 80).
Subs: James Severn (GK), Luke Garton, Callum Ball.
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