Derby County edged a point further to safety with a goalless draw at Barnsley this afternoon.

The draw extended Derby's unbeaten run to four away from Pride Park, and the clean sheet was their third in four matches on the road.

Rob Hulse was handed a recall and Tomasz Cywka made his first start for the Rams as Nigel Clough made two changes to the starting line-up from the Bank Holiday Monday defeat to Ipswich Town.

Chris Porter - nursing an ankle knock - and the suspended Stephen Pearson made way.

Both sides cancelled each other out in the opening exchanges with neither goalkeeper tested in any way.

Barnsley's Adam Hammill hit the side netting and Stephen Foster drifted a header way over the bar as the home side enjoyed a strong spell of pressure at the halfway point of the half.

However Shaun Barker almost added to his impressive goals tally on the half hour as he brought a fine save out of Luke Steele in the Barnsley goal after rising highest to head Michael Tonge's corner goalwards.

Another header - this time from Hulse - worked Steele in the closing stages of the half but the goalkeeper was equal to the striker's effort which lacked power.

At the other end, Derby were solid and dominant in their defensive play which meant Stephen Bywater was untested other than seeing a cluster of long-range shots drift wide.

Derby were quick out of the traps in the second period and Hulse headed straight at Steele when well placed from a Tonge delivery into the box.

The Rams thought they had made the breakthrough when a weak clearance by Steele - way out of his goal - fell straight to Cywka whose well-executed volley was drifting into the back of the net but Luke Potter dashed back onto the line to hack the ball behind.

Cywka's technique and vision deserved a goal, and it as only the heroics of the Barnsley defender that denied him a debut to remember.

The pressure continued from Derby and a half-volley from Davies drifted just wide.

Derby couldn't maintain that pressure but continued to stay the stronger of the two sides, looking a threat going forwards and enjoying the better of the possession.

Winger David Martin replaced Steven Davies down the left late on, but it was the impressive Cywka who again came close to notching the winner as he chased a lost cause to win possession and curl a shot goalwards which Steele kept out.

With three games left Derby have a strong cushion away from the bottom three and a victory over Crystal Palace next Saturday would wrap up safety.

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Shotton, Potter, Hammill (Devaney 56), Doyle, Colace, Teixeria (Butterfield 88), Bogdanovic (Gray 68). Macken
Subs: Preece, De Silva, Moore, Noble-Lazarus
Booked: Foster

Derby County: Bywater, Hunt, McEveley, Barker, Anderson, Tonge, Green, Savage, Davies (Martin 77), Cywka, Hulse
Subs: Deeney, Porter, Sunu, Teale, Moxey, Pringle
Booked: Tonge

Referee: Mr P Taylor

Attendance: 13,034