Derby 2-1 Blackpool
- Published
Steve Davies scored two second-half goals as Derby fought back to hit Blackpool's play-off hopes.
Tom Ince put the visitors ahead from Stephen Crainey's cross with just over a minute gone.
But Davies drove in a free-kick from outside the area to pull the Rams level six minutes after the interval.
He scored a second with a header from a free-kick from namesake Ben as fifth-placed Blackpool suffered a second loss in four games.
Ian Holloway's side, who are looking for an immediate return to the Premier League, have now played more games than the four teams below them, who each have at least one game in hand.
The Seasiders took a big step towards what would have been a fourth straight away win in the league when Ince scored in the second minute.
Garner praises Derby's team effort
Brett Ormerod played in Crainey down the left and his cross deflected into the path of Ince, who drove in for a fourth goal in three games.
Davies, making just a second start after returning from a fractured skull, found the top corner with a free-kick just after the break, before his header took his tally to eight for the season.
Rams goalkeeper Frank Fielding pulled off a fine stop from Blackpool's Alex Baptiste as Nigel Clough's team hung on to move up to 14th in the Championship.
Derby coach Andy Garner: "(Davies had a) horrific injury and you've got to be brave when you've got plates in your head. This shows he's determined and strong enough to deal with that and he's proved that in the last couple of games.
"He was absolutely magnificent and it's great to have him back. It's hard to believe how many injuries he's had for a 24-year-old but there's no doubt he's a threat and he does score goals.
"He's in the right place at the right time and sometimes you get in the right area like he did and he finished it brilliantly."
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway: "We started (the second-half) really sluggish. We looked like a diesel rather than a Rolls-Royce but that's what happens at this level.
"Set pieces are absolutely vital. They scored from two, one bloke has a free header (Steve Davies) and I'm very proud of that boy for getting over what happened to him but we have to learn how to deal with those things.
"I think my lads might have moaned to the referee too much at times and that's not good so we have got a lot to learn."