Derby County suffered their second home defeat of the campaign with a 3-2 reverse against Barnsley this evening.

Derby dominated the early stages at Pride Park and deservedly took the lead through Rob Hulse's first goal of the season, but Mark Robins' side hit back before the interval with a spectacular strike from winger Adam Hammill.

The second Barnsley goal came just before the hour, and it had a big slice of controversy about it. Kris Commons appeared to be fouled at one end of the field, and Barnsley quickly broke and Andy Gray made no mistake - and sub Anderson De Silva wrapped up the points in injury-time on the break.

LATE GOAL: Shaun Barker replied late on for Derby

Shaun Barker pulled a late goal back from a corner, but it was too little too late for the Rams.

Manager Nigel Clough was forced into two changes from the side that faced Sheffield United at the weekend with midfield duo Paul Green and Stephen Pearson nursing injuries.

That meant recalls for Kris Commons and Jake Livermore as Derby changed to a 4-4-1-1 system with Commons operating just behind Rob Hulse who himself was only passed fit an hour-and-a-half before kick-off due to illness.

Jake Buxton was missing from the bench because of a suspected hernia problem and while Green was ruled out entirely Pearson was amongst the substitutes - as was recent signing Lee Hendrie for the first time since his move from Sheffield United.

The Championship's bottom club got the game underway, and it clear from the way they lined up they were determined to frustrate the Rams and Argentinean Colace operated just in front of the back four in a holding role aiming to cut out the supply from the middle of the park to both Commons and Hulse.

Neither side were able to stamp their authority of the game in the first few minutes, but for a moment Colace must have thought a game of rugby was taking place at Pride Park Stadium this evening as he hauled Croft - in full flow - to the floor down the right and was shown a yellow card for his troubles.

Derby began to build some momentum and good passage of play saw Livemore intelligently find Hulse in the box but his shot on the turn was deflected behind for a corner by Barnsley skipper Foster.

In-form Dean Moxey tried his luck with a speculative shot from eighteen yards out after Barnsley failed to clear a throw-in, but his half-volley was narrowly off target although Preece seemed to have the shot covered as he watched the ball whistle wide.

Barnsley seemed happy to soak up the play and try to hit the Rams on the break with the pace of Hume, which meant for long spells early on Derby were dominating possession and pinning the visitors back - but with so many men behind the ball it was a case of remaining patient for the Rams.

After winning a corner on twenty-five minutes Derby were just inches away from taking the lead when the ball was cleared back to Commons who delivered a superb ball across the six-yard box which a stretching Hulse just couldn't get on the end of.

Just a minute later though, in an almost identical position inside the six-yard box, Hulse made no mistake. Again Barnsley couldn't clear their lines and Croft's excellent cross from the right was powerfully headed into the back of the Barnsley net by Hulse for his first goal of the campaign.

AHEAD: Derby celebrate taking the lead

The goal had been coming and Hulse - who was a doubt due to illness earlier in the day - shrugged off any ill-feeling by bringing the Pride Park faithful to their feet.

Barnsley troubled the Rams for the first time on thirty-three minutes after Barker, harshly, was adjudged to have brought down Gray on the edge of the box. The free-kick was fired goalwards Hume, but he was off target.

Hulse should have had another goal to celebrate ten minutes before the break when Croft again scampered away down the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross to the Derby No.9, but with the goal gaping he somehow headed wide from just four yards out.

Straight down the other end, the visitors drew level in spectacular fashion with their first effort on target. Adam Hammill found the ball at his feet some twenty yards out and he let fly with a curling effort which crashed beyond Bywater and into the net in off the far post.

It sent the large band of travelling supporters wild, who have had very little to cheer about in the early stages of this season and stunned the rest of Pride Park into silence.

Derby got back into the stride before the break and Barker headed a Commons corner over the bar as the pressure began to mount again.

ON THE ATTACK: Paul Connolly bursts forwards

Hulse had the final chance of the half with a looping header, but Preece claimed the ball easily.

Derby got the second half underway, but play was halted just a few seconds into the half because of an injury to Barnsley defender Foster.

Once the game got underway again, Derby carried on where they left off and Hulse got away down the right and provided a low ball across the six-yard box which Livermore looked destined to convert but a last-gasp challenge by Hassell denied him. Commons then had a free-kick from all of thirty yards deflected wide for a corner and from the resultant flag-kick Hulse headed just wide.

A number of decisions by Referee Mr Miller halted Derby's flow, and he was the villain just before the hour as Barnsley took the lead for the first time in the game.

Mr Miller, somehow, waved play on after Kris Commons was hauled to the floor - and from there Barnsley blasted the ball up the other end and Andy Gray coolly kept his composure to slide the ball past Bywater after being played clear on goal.

Derby sought an instant response and Hulse was denied at the near post by another last-gasp challenge by a Barnsley defender and Barker was almost on the end of Teale's free-kick a few minutes later but a heavy touch took the ball into Preece's hands.

Frustration was in the air as decision after decision went against the Rams, and after Hulse went down when fouled by Moore with twenty to go he had to be replaced. Experienced campaigner Paul Dickov came off the bench for his Pride Park debut in his place.

ON THE BALL: Kris Commons takes on Darren Moore

With their first League victory of the season in their sights, Barnsley were in no mood to let the lead slip - if at all - lightly and they ensure that without the ball the Rams would have to find their way through a sea of Red shirts in order to find a goal.

Savage went on a superb run down the left as the game approached the final fifteen minutes but his cut-back into space couldn't find a Rams player surging in the box that his cross deserved.

Time was running out and Derby continued to knock on the door and a late change saw Pearson replace Croft - and it was another sub, Dickov, who almost brought Derby level but the ball didn't fall kindly to the Scot and Preece shot off his line to claim the ball.

It really was an evening of frustration as - chasing the game - decisions continued to go Barnsley's way as the clock ticked down.

The last chance for Derby in normal time came as the clock ticked to ninety, and Moxey's long-range blast fizzed just over the crossbar.

Eight minutes of added time was signalled, which brought a huge roar of encouragement from the home support - and the indication to throw centre-back Miles Addison up front.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Lee Croft on the attack

On the break though, Barnsley wrapped up the victory and exploited the holes at the back as sub Anderson De Silva burst clear on goal to round Bywater and slide the ball into the empty net.

Derby did pull a goal back through defender Shaun Barker who rose highest to head home a corner for his first Rams goal, but Barnsley held on in late spell of pressure for their first win of the campaign.

Derby County: Bywater, Connolly, Addison, Barker, Moxey, Croft (Pearson 84), Savage, Livermore, Teale, Commons, Hulse (Dickov 68)
Subs: Deeney, McEveley, Leacock, Pringle, Hendire
Bookings: Croft
Goals: Hulse (27), Barker (90)

Barnsley: Preece, Hassell, Kozluk, Foster (C), Moore, Hallfredsson (De Silva 85), Hume (Macken 61), Colace, Hammill, Butterfield, Gray
Subs: Rusling,Thompson, Heslop, Devaney, Coulson
Bookings: Colace
Goals: Hammill (36), Gray (57), De Silva (90)

Referee: Mr N S Miller

Attendance: 27,609 (748 Barnsley Fans)