Derby County head coach Steve McClaren thanked his players after they delivered a compelling display to destroy Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-0 in the rain on Saturday at the iPro Stadium.
Wolves had no answer to Derby’s energy and invention as Jeff Hendrick and Johnny Russell both scored twice after Ryan Shotton had put the home side on course for their biggest win since March.
“I’ve said to the team: ‘Thank you very much for giving me that performance because that was great’,” McClaren said. “I don’t often sit there and enjoy the full aspects of games but today I did.
“The team worked so hard even at 5-0 up and the key thing was the discipline they showed and looking a good team without the ball. It was a game we controlled by being a good team without the ball and that’s what really pleased me.
“To do that to a very good team shows what this group is capable of doing. That was a complete performance and today was one of those when I’m glad 30,000 people and the TV cameras were here to watch it.
“The players were magnificent and it was not just a performance of football but of hard work, attitude and discipline.”
Derby cruised to the top of the Championship with the lunchtime demolition, gaining a point on-form pair Middlesbrough and AFC Bournemouth, who missed the chance to make Derby’s stay at the top a short one as they played out a 0-0 draw later in the day.
Adam Reach came closest to stealing the points for the home side only to rattle the crossbar.
Mick McCarthy paid tribute to his side after Ipswich Town went fourth with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Watford, now fifth, saw his side move to within two points of the top of the Championship table.
Tommy Smith’s 83rd minute goal was the difference between two evenly-matched sides with McCarthy believing the game was a great advert for the division.
The manager said: “I’m really pleased with the performance and the win. Watford are a good side and we had to play exceptionally well.
“I don’t know how it was just 1-0 with both goalkeepers and both defences playing very well.
“I said to my boys at half-time that Watford are a very good Championship team who, like us, have a chance of going up there.”
There was late drama at the City Ground where two goals in the last five minutes from strike pair Britt Assombalonga and Michail Antonio helped Nottingham Forest end their torrid run of form.
Forest had looked destined for a 10th league game without a win when Norwich City took the lead through Jonny Howson, only for Stuart Pearce’s men to secure a much-needed win.
Millwall defender Danny Shittu scored at either end as Brentford continued their play-off push with a 3-2 victory.
Ian Holloway’s men had fought back after Andre Gray’s double to score twice in two minutes through Shittu and Alan Dunne only for the centre-back’s unfortunate own goal to hand Brentford the points.
The only other away victory of the afternoon came at Reading where Igor Vetokele’s header ended Charlton Athletic’s run of three league games without a win.
A stunning goal from Ross McCormack helped Fulham see off Huddersfield Town 3-1 at Craven Cottage. The Scot added the third after Hugo Rodallega and Lasse Vigen Christensen had netted either side of Joel Lynch’s strike.
Neil Redfearn tasted victory for the first time as Leeds United’s permanent manager by the same scoreline as they piled more misery on rock-bottom Blackpool.
Liam Cooper, Souleymane Doukara and Mirco Antenucci secured the points before half-time with Nile Ranger grabbing a consolation.
Rudy Gestede’s 10th goal of the season cancelled out Gary Gardner’s opener as Blackburn Rovers earned an away point at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United played out a 0-0 draw as did Birmingham City, who had Wes Thomas sent off, and Cardiff City, who remain without an away win this season.
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