Ferderico Bessone's late goal broke Derby County's hearts as Swansea City defeated the Rams 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium this evening.

The Spaniard struck with nine minutes left to condemn Nigel Clough's side to defeat after a valiant and determined performance.

In particular the Rams owed a great deal to goalkeeper Stephen Bywater, who had made three outstanding saves to keep the Swans out before Bessone struck to give Paulo Sousa's side the points.

Manager Clough made two changes to his Derby line-up for tonight's game, one of which was enforced while the other was tactical as the Rams lined up in a 4-5-1 formation looking to improve their fortunes away from Pride Park.

Stephen Pearson's slight groin injury ruled him out of the game, so on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jake Livermore was restored to the side while Paul Dickov made way to the bench to allow Bryan Hughes - playing the final game of his initial one-month loan from Hull City - to slot into the five-man midfield.

Swansea got the game underway in their traditional home colours against a Rams side who were lining up in their black and grey away strip.

The home side had the first opportunity in a frantic opening to the game, but after Nathan Dyer intercepted Gary Teale's weak backpass and rounded Stephen Bywater he could only hit the post from a very tight angle. He couldn't have done any more really given the angle, but it was a let-off for the Rams.

When settled and in possession, Derby were looking confident and began to create a few chances of their own. Dean Leacock had a shot deflected wide while a touch off a Swansea player from a Rams corner saw the ball whistle just wide for another corner.

Swansea stepped up the pressure as the midway point of the half arrived, but the Rams defensive were not letting anything past them and Bywater remained untested other than coming for crosses and clearing his lines.

That was until just before the half-hour when he made a fine stop diving full length to his left to turn away Beattie's stinging drive after a corner was played short into his path 18 yards out. From the following corner the Swans worked an opportunity for van der Gun who blasted wide from twenty yards.

Swansea enjoyed more of the play in the latter stages of the half, but failed to turn that possession into chances as the solid and compact Rams were a tough but to crack and after just a minute of added time the sides went in at the break with nothing between them.

Derby had got into some promising positions on the break, but just couldn't make them count.

Neither side made changes at the break so it was 'as you were' as Derby got the second half underway attacking towards the end where the 400-or-so Rams fans were situated.

Swansea started strongly in the half and Barker was called into action to make a fine defensive clearance seven minutes in as he slid in to guide Dyer's cross behind for a corner with Beattie waiting just behind him inside the six-yard box to tap the ball into the net.

Bywater was at full stretch to claim the same wideman's cross minutes later as the Swans had plenty of joy attacking down the Derby left with Dyer's pace.

Derby were having to do some defending by the hour, but what they were having to do was of the highest standard, time-after-time heading clear and hacking the ball to safety.

Clough made his first change of the game just after the hour, replacing Stoor with Paul Connolly in a straight swap at right-back.

The Rams forged a good opening with some neat football on sixty-five minutes when Livermore won the ball in midfield and drove towards the Swansea box but his ball in to Green was well cleared by Williams.

Barker then displayed another fine piece of defending by throwing his body on the line to block Pratley's goal-bound shot from twenty yards out. The ball looked to be heading towards goal and he ensured the ball wasn't going to get past him.

Bywater was then called into action to make another fine stop, this time standing tall on his line and blocking Beattie's goalbound drive from sixteen yards with twenty minutes left on the clock. The big striker held off the challenge of Leacock to get his shot in, but Bywater was equal to it.

Jay McEveley was introduced into the action with just under twenty minutes left, replacing Gary Teale on the left-hand side of the midfield.

Swansea carved out an opportunity on seventy-three when Pratley burst down the right and drilled in a low cross that Savage expertly hacked away with a last-gasp tackle on Dyer inside the box.

Bywater made another outstanding stop with just ten minutes to go, this time to deny Pratley as the home side caught Derby on the counter attack. The midfielder just got a toe to Dyer's inviting cross from the right, but the goalkeeper got his fingertips to the ball and Savage was able to clear.

Barely sixty seconds later Swansea finally found a way past Bywater. After winning the ball in midfield a ball into Bessone was crashed into the back of the net from just inside the box, with Bywater this time given no chance as the ball flew past him and in off the underside of the crossbar.

It was rough justice on Derby and Bywater, who had performed superbly as a defensive unit throughout.

With five minutes left Paul Dickov was thrown into the action in place of Livermore as Derby went with two up top in search of a point.

Despite Derby's efforts and a hardworking display throughout, their efforts weren't rewarded and the Swans took the points.

Swansea City: de Vries, Williams, Tate (C), Britton, Pratley, Beattie (Trundle 90) Orlandi (Allen 61), van der Gun (Butler 77), Dyer, Rangel, Bessone
Subs Not Used: Cornell, Serran, Lopez, Dobbie
Goals: Bessone (81)

Derby County: Bywater, Green, Leacock, Savage (C), Hulse, Teale, Barker, Moxey, Livermore, Stoor (Connolly 63), Hughes
Subs Not Used: McEveley, Addison, Croft, Hendrie, Dickov, Atkins
Booked: Barker, Stoor, Connolly

Referee: Mr R East

Attendance: 17,804 (420 Derby County Supporters)