It was the late, late show once again from Nigel Clough's Derby County after a deserved 1-0 victory over Bristol City at Pride Park Stadium this afternoon.

Gary Teale was the matchwinner as he crashed home from long range with just five minutes remaining on the clock to send Pride Park into raptures.

The Rams dominated for long spells, especially after Bristol City Captain Jamie McCombe was sent off just before the hour for a second bookable offence.

James Vaughan, Rob Hulse Lee Croft and Paul Dickov all went close for Derby before Teale struck in the closing stages.

Rams boss Clough made one change to his starting line-up from the 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace a week ago going into the game.

That change came at the heart of the defence, with Shaun Barker coming in for Miles Addison who was named on the bench.

Stephen Pearson and Kris Commons were missing with injuries and joined Jake Buxton, Paul Green, Steven Davies, Giles Barnes and Chris Porter on the treatment table.

Vaughan made his home debut for the Rams after joining from Everton a week ago while new signing Fredrik Stoor - who only joined on loan from Fulham this morning - was named on the bench.

Derby got the game underway in the afternoon sunshine, and within two minutes Stephen Bywater performed heroics to keep the visitors out.

He superly turned away Alvaro Saborio's header at point-blank range, and what followed can only be described as a good old-fashioned goalmouth scramble.

Bywater, Leacock and Barker combined to deny the Robins and clear their lines.

Derby built up some momentum in the minutes after that opportunity and set about taking the game to the visitors.

Dean Moxey, advacing forward from left-back, and Lee Croft down the right both delivered a number of dangerous crosses into the City area; putting the visiting defence in the back foot.

Moving the ball across the park with a great deal of confidence, Derby did not look like a side that had lost their last four games.

With the crowd behind them, they played flowing football throughout and they had a golden chance to take the lead on twenty minutes when Savage dispossed McCombe chasing a seemingly lost-cause thirty-yards from goal.

After winning the ball he slipped the ball to Vaughan in a two-on-one situation but the Everton loanee sliced his shot wide.

City responded with an attack of their own, but right-back Bradley Orr's long-range effort from all of twenty-five yards with his left foot whistled just wide of Bywater's far post. City were adopting a 'shoot on sight' attitude and Evander Sno's blistering twenty-yard was just off target two minutes later with Bywater diving full-stretch to his left.

A poor clearance by Basso resulted in a chance for Hulse on thirty-two minutes, but from a tight angle he blasted wide. Luckily for Basso, there was sufficent defensive cover to force wide and away from danger and his blushes were spared.

Hulse was agonisingly close again five minutes before the interval with a smart turn and shot in one movement from twenty yards that left Basso stranded, but he was just off target. His strike was so close it grazed the angle of post and bar.

City thought they were about to take the lead in the closing stages of the half when Saborio broke the offside trap and burst clear towards the Derby goal, but Barker showed superb willingness to get back and he made a superb challenge at the expense of a corner.

The Rams enjoyed the better of the closing stages in the first period as Vaughan tried his luck with a low effort in injury-time that Basso was equal to - and the Rams left the field for the interval to a raptuous round of applause.

Vaughan started the second half how he ended the first - trying his luck from just outside the area - and again Basso was equal to it after the 21-year-old showed neat footwork to weave his way past two City defenders.

The Rams No.31 was getting closer and closer to his first goal in a Derby shirt as he latched into Croft's floated ball into the area but McCombe slid in well to block his shot.

There were handbags in front of the North Stand seven minutes into the half after McCombe dragged Hulse to the floor a few yards from the corner flag which resulted in a caution for the Bristol City skipper.

McCombe didn't learn his lesson and sixty seconds later he clashed with Hulse again, leaving Referee Mr Russell with no option but to issue him with a second yellow, followed by a red to the delight of the Rams faithful.

That resulted in a change of tactics for City, striker Saborio was replaced by ex-Rams defender Lewin Nyatanga who slotted into the vacant hole left by McCombe in the defence and Danny Haynes quickly followed in place of Lee Johnson.

Derby made their first change with a straight swap in attack as Dickov replaced Vaughan.

With more space the Rams had plenty of the ball, but City were holding firm with two solid banks of four and the hardworking Maynard looking to catch the Rams on the break.

Another poor clearance by Basso way out of his goal left Croft with a golden chance to give Derby the lead on sixty-eight minutes, but twenty yards out and the goalkeepr rushing back towards his goal - and two defenders on the line - the winger went for power and blasted his shot just over when he looked certain to open his Derby account.

Another chance followed when Livermore found space inside the area and his ball across to Dickov was just behind the little Scot, who did well to control the ball and flash a shot just wide.

As the game entered the final fifteen minutes, Derby were dominant - but they just couldn't make the breakthrough. Gary Teale tried his luck with an overhead kick twelve yards out, but his luck was out.

Lee Hendrie came off the bench to make his Derby debut in place of Jake Livermore with twelve minutes a few weeks after joining from Sheffield United as the Rams sought the breakthrough.

Fellow substitute Dickov through he had found it with just nine minutes to go, but he couldn't find the target from twelve yards.

That frustration was released all around Pride Park though with just four minutes remaining as the Rams finally made the breakthrough.

Teale burst forwards down the left with plenty of space to run into and from twenty yards the Scottish winger crashed home a low drive beyond Basso at his near post.

The roof came off Pride Park as an afternoon of frustration in front of goal turned to one of pure delight.

It was the winger's third goal of the season, and his second late strike in the Coca-Cola Championship this season after his opening day effort against Peterborough.

Hendrie tried to get in on the act a few minutes later, but Basso saved easily while at the other end hearts were in mouths as the clock approached 90 as Connolly's back-header looped over Bywater, but fortunately the ball bounced behind for a corner which the Rams cleared.

Miles Addison replaced Lee Croft in injury-time to shore things up at the back as four minutes of added time were signalled by the fourth official.

In the end, Teale's goal was enough and Derby were able to celebrate their first win in a month - and it was well worth the wait!

Derby County: Bywater, Connolly, Barker, Leacock, Moxey, Croft (Addison 90), Savage, Livermore (Hendrie 78), Teale, Hulse, Vaughan (Dickov 64)
Subs: Deeney, McEveley, Pringle, Stoor
Bookings: Croft, Connolly
Goals: Teale (85)

Bristol City: Basso, Orr, McAllister, Fontaine, McCombe, Elliott, Johnson (Haynes 65), Maynard, Hartley, Sno (Sproule 82), Saborio (Nyatanga 57)
Subs: Henderson, Carey, Clarkson, Williams
Bookings: Sno, McCombe, Maynard
Red Cards: McCombe

Referee: Mr M P Russell

Attendance: 27,144