LEE Croft and Jay McEveley struck their first goals of the season as Derby County bounced back from their mauling by Cardiff City in midweek to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at Pride Park Stadium this afternoon..

Croft scored in the first half and McEveley gleefully drove in the second 20 minutes after the break before Rob Hulse scored a penalty in stoppage time to complete a fine victory.

Derby's display was full of character and commitment, and the result is a boost for them after suffering five defeats in their previous six matches and ahead of the two-week international break.

They were dealt yet more injuries blows before the game when on-loan striker James Vaughan and defender Dean Leacock were ruled out.

Vaughan suffered a dead leg on his debut in the defeat by Crystal Palace and was an unused substitute in Tuesday's 6-1 thrashing by Cardiff due to a knee problem.

The 21-year-old is with the Rams until January 1 but has returned to Everton for consultation over his knee.

Paul Dickov made his first start and partnered Hulse up front, and Lee Hendrie dropped to the bench.

Leacock failed to shake off a hamstring injury and McEveley came in at centre-back.

Derby's crippling injury list continues to grow. Vaughan, Leacock, Paul Connolly, Miles Addison, Paul Green, Stephen Pearson, Kris Commons, Steve Davies and Chris Porter are all sidelined along with young defenders Mitch Hanson and Mark O'Brien.

Jake Buxton made the substitutes' bench less than two weeks after undergoing a hernia operation.

There was a minute's silence before kick off in memory of former Rams defender Geoff Barrowcliffe who died last weekend, aged 77. Barrowcliffe makde more than 500 appearances for the Rams.

Fredrik Stoor did well to block a shot from Etienne Esajas in the second minute but Derby started in positive fashion.

Hulse glanced a header wide from Shaun Barker's cross before the Rams went ahead on 17 minutes.

Jake Livermore put the ball into the Wednesday area towards Dickov who cleverly span his marker and  lifted a cross to the unmarked Croft whose finish from six yards found the net off the underside of the bar.

Dean Moxey burst between two Wednesday players and his drive fizzed low past the far post as Derby looked for a second goal, but they had a let-off just before the half hour mark.

Leon Clarke's strength led to a scramble in the Rams area and when the ball broke to James O'Connor he had no time to react and his effort squirmed wide.

Wednesday enjoyed a decent spell without seriously stretching Stephen Bywater although the goalkeeper needed two attempts to keep out a header from former Rams' striker Marcus Tudgay.

At the other end, Dickov went close to doubling Derby's lead after good play by Livermore.

Gary Teale centred for Livermore to knock the ball down for Dickov and his shot from an angle grazed the foot of a post.

Derby rode their luck in the early stages of the second half as Wednesday had three chances to equalise.

Darren Purse headed wide from an Esajas corner, O'Connor set up Michael Gray who blasted his shot over and then Bywater's throw out hit the heels of team-mate Moxey to present possession to Wednesday.

Gray found Clarke who blazed his shot high over when he should have hit the target at the very least.

Derby responded as the game swung from end to end.

Lee Grant parried Croft's firm drive and then got a hand to Hulse's shot that looked to be going wide.

There was another scare for Derby when the ball looped up and bounced off the top of the bar for a Wednesday corner from which the Rams went two up in the 65th minute.

Croft, full of running, raided down the right and squared for McEveley who had made a terrific run in support. He let the ball run onto his left and smashed it underneath Grant from 15 yards.

Another shot from Croft was not far away and Teale's ambitious attempt on the volley sailed over, but the visitors kept coming back and Tommy Spurr headed just too high.

Derby grabbed their third when Hulse converted a stoppage-time penalty after he had been bundled.

DERBY COUNTY: Bywater; Stoor, Barker, McEveley, Moxey; Croft (Pringle, 85), Savage (Mendy, 90), Livermore, Teale; Dickov (Hendrie, 83), Hulse.

Other subs: Deeney, Buxton.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Grant; Buxton, Wood, Purse, Spurr; Gray, O'Connor (Miller, 76), Potter, Esajas (Esajas, 63); Clarke (Sodje, 63), Tudgay.

Other subs: O'Donnell, McAllister, Beevers, Simek.

Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).

Attendance: 30,116 (away fans 2,858)