Malcolm Christie took just eight minutes to ram Derby in the direction of three more Premiership points against fellow strugglers Coventry at Pride Park.

Christie bundled the ball home from eight yards after Craig Burley's initial effort had been blocked by Coventry goalkeeper Magnus Hedman.

It was an important breakthrough for the Rams, who had been knocked back into the relegation zone last Sunday after the Sky Blues beat high-flying Leicester.

Coventry saw more of the ball but Muhamed Konjic and Mustapha Hadji both blazed good chances over the bar.

The hosts took the lead as Christie was on hand to pounce in the visitors' box in the eighth minute, after Craig Burley's initial shot had been blocked by goalkeeper Magnus Hedman.

The Rams' top scorer forced the rebound past Coventry defender Gary Breen and into the bottom corner of the net.

It was no more than Derby deserved after an impressive start during which the returning Seth Johnson had also come close.

Johnson, forced to sit out the 4-1 thrashing at Chelsea last weekend, found space on the right and curled in a shot which Hedman saved.

Jim Smith's men were desperate for that early advantage against a team who climbed out of the drop zone at their expense last Sunday thanks to a surprise win over Leicester.

Sky Blues boss Gordon Strachan was afforded the luxury of being able to name an unchanged side for the trip, including ex-Rams Paul Williams and Lee Carsley.

As well as Johnson replacing former Manchester United youngster Danny Higginbotham, Derby also welcomed back Stefano Eranio in place of Lars Bohinen.

Coventry somehow contrived to squander a fine equalising chance in the 13th minute when Barry Quinn's dangerous cross from the left caused confusion in the Rams box.

Unfortunately for the visitors the confusion was between Hadji and John Aloisi, and the Moroccan ended the move by squirting a poor effort over the crossbar.

The visitors began to see more of the ball but the persistence of Quinn and Craig Bellamy was failing to pay off as the Rams' three-man central defence kept the shackles tightened on Hadji and John Aloisi.

Thompson tried his luck with a 20-yard shot after 20 minutes and from Aloisi's knock back in a crowded box Muhamed Konjic blazed over the bar.

Coventry's pressure nearly paid off in the 24th minute when Bellamy broke free down the right flank and was well tackled by Chris Riggott just inside the box.

Coventry's alarming tendency to scoop their half-chances way over the bar surfaced again from the resulting corner when Thompson whipped in the cross and Paul Telfer nearly knocked out a floodlight from eight yards.

But it was certainly a promising spell for the visitors and increasingly it was youngster Riggott - one of the Premiership's finds of the season, who was shining in his side's overworked rearguard - who kept them at bay.

Then Christie almost caught the Sky Blues out against the run of play when he scampered across the halfway line but stumbled and Quinn got back to shunt the ball to safety.

As the pace increased Rory Delap spurned a terrific chance to put the home side further ahead when he was played in by an inch-perfect ball by Christie on the right but had too many touches in front of goal and the ball eventually trundled into the arms of a relieved Hedman.

Coventry continued to press as the tempo - and tempers - were raised.

Thompson won a free-kick on the right flank after being pulled down by Johnson in the latest chapter of their ongoing battle.

But a stretching Konjic just failed to get the touch on the cross which would surely have produced the equaliser.

Moments later Thompson again tried a rather audacious lob-shot from the edge of the box which dipped and landed agonisingly on top of Mart Poom's net.

Breen thwarted a Derby chance after 40 minutes when Eranio's through-ball left Derby momentarily two on one. Breen cut in front of Christie and Delap and steered the ball nervelessly away from the danger zone.

Darryl Powell flashed a header wide from Burley's corner as Derby finished what had gradually turned into a well-matched battle on top.