HAT-TRICK HEARTACHE FOR HULSE

But Hulse missed the chance of a hat-trick when his late penalty was saved by Coventry keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos

Derby, without a win in their previous four games, were a goal down to Coventry in four minutes.

But Hulse, with his first goals for a month, hauled them level four minutes into the second half and then put them ahead in the 62nd minute.

The loss of Jordan Clarke, sent off for a second bookable offence when he flattened Robbie Savage a minute after Coventry went 2-1 down, made the visitors’ chances of a fight-back that more difficult.

Derby manager Nigel Clough, in his first full season at the club, has had up to 16 players unavailable because of injury. That was reduced to 10 for last night’s game and at least he has got a little breathing space with this win.

This was only Derby’s fifth victory of the season, but when Leon Best fired Coventry ahead after goalkeeper Stephen Bywater had punched his first header straight back to him, the immediate future looked bleak – until Hulse came to Clough’s rescue.

DERBY 2

COVENTRY 1