Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from Pride Park Stadium

Derby took their season's points tally into double figures with a hard-earned 0-0 draw against a Sunderland side desperately looking for all three to boost their fight against relegation.

It was a game of few clear-cut chances at either end with neither goalkeeper seriously threatened.

Kenwyne Jones and Michael Chopra might have won it for the visitors, as could Kenny Miller for Derby, but defences were on top.

Paul Jewell delivered on his promise to make changes to his line-up following the defeat to Wigan with Marc Edworthy, David Jones, Tito Villa, Eddie Lewis and Mile Sterjovski all in the starting line-up.

Dean Leacock and Giles Barnes were injured, Craig Fagan and Hossam Ghaly were on the bench, while there was no place for Robbie Savage so Alan Stubbs took over the captain's armband.

And with just three minutes on the clock Derby almost found themselves behind.

Nyron Nosworthy's pass picked out Daryl Murphy, who took a touch on the edge of the box before curling his shot past Roy Carroll.

The Sunderland supporters behind the goal were up celebrating but it swung away at the last minute and rebounded off the inside of the post before being cleared.

Seconds later Kenny Miller became the first of referee Mike Riley's cautions as he hauled down Kenwyne Jones with a tackle from behind.

But the Scot was soon in action at the right end of the field with a clever piece of chest control and shot on the turn from the edge of the box that dipped narrowly wide of the post.

It hadn't been a first quarter-hour packed with quality but the opportunities were there at either end, and Michael Chopra could perhaps feel as though he should have done better than to plant a free header over the bar from a Danny Higginbotham cross.

So it soon continued with Murphy cutting in from the right, on to his left foot, but his 20-yard effort was no serious challenge for Carroll.

Higginbotham, back on his old territory, was perhaps lucky to escape a yellow card for a wild 21st-minute lunge on Sterjovski. Certainly his challenge appeared worse than the one Miller was cautioned for.

Derby's next opportunity arrived on 26 as Edworthy started a move that saw Stephen Pearson skip away down the right and make ground into the box.

He appeared to have lost the ball but managed to recover and pull it back towards Lewis, but two Sunderland players were in to block well as the American lined his shot up.

Sunderland had the ball in the back of the net shortly after the half-hour mark through Chopra, who was flagged offside as he netted from close-range as Andy Reid crossed low.

Replays showed it was a tight decision.

Derby responded with a spell of pressure but that only culminated in a caution for Jay McEveley, who flattened Phil Bardsley in mid-air.

Half-time arrived in a rather subdued fashion though Derby had been fortunate to escape when Murphy's close-range header deflected off Stubbs and dropped just past the post.

Neither side made a change during the interval but Sunderland opened up brightly after the break with a couple of dangerous-looking balls into the Derby box that ultimately came to nothing.

Lewis was next into the book, again for catching Bardsley, eight minutes after half-time.

Two more changes followed as Grant Leadbitter took over from Andy Reid for the visitors, while Sterjovski's afternoon came to a close on 66 as Craig Fagan took his place.

Though the frequent opportunities of the first half had dried up, but the yellow cards hadn't - Moore and Villa added to Riley's ever-growing list of cautions.

Chopra was Sunderland's first booking of the afternoon, following a 74th-minute foul on Moore, though it seemed rather a trivial offence.

The triviality was compounded seconds later when Murphy escaped any punishment for a kick on Villa that gave Derby a free-kick on the touchline, though they failed to make the most of Lewis's delivery.

An opportunity did come Miller's way shortly afterwards as a long Moore clearance was knocked down his way, but the Scot couldn't control his half-volley.

Both sides made changes on 78 minutes as Anthony Stokes took over from Murphy, while Villa left to a good ovation and was replaced by Robert Earnshaw.

Jones might have done better eight minutes from the end as he raced on to a long ball but dragged his shot wide from the edge of the box while under pressure from Stubbs.

At the other end Miller was almost through on a Fagan clearancec but Craig Gordon came outside his box and got just enough of a touch to deny Derby's leading scorer.

And Sunderland's stooppage-time hold over the Rams almost struck again.

They forced a corner on the right that was driven back in by Richardson, though it took a deflection and spooned up to Higginbotham at the far post.

It looked for all the world as though the Black Cats would find the breakthrough but somehow Ghaly got back to block superbly in front of goal.

Derby forced a flag-kick of their own deep into the added minutes but couldn't make the most of it.

DERBY: Carroll, Edworthy, McEveley, Jones (Ghaly 57), Stubbs (C), Villa (Earnshaw 78), Miller, Lewis, Sterjovski (Fagan 66), Moore, Pearson.

SUBSTITUTES: Price (GK), Feilhaber.

SUNDERLAND: Gordon, Nosworthy, Whitehead (C), Richardson, Murphy (Stokes 78), Higginbotham, Chopra, Jones, Reid (Leadbitter 65), Bardsley, Evans.

SUBSTITUTES: Fulop (GK), McShane, Prica.

ATTENDANCE: 33,058 (3,074 visiting fans).