DERBY dealt 10-man Cherries a late double blow as goals from Will Hughes and Chris Martin eventually settled a tight encounter at the iPro Stadium.

County were incensed when Jamie Ward netted midway through the second half only for referee Scott Mathieson to bring back play and send off Cherries keeper Lee Camp for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Cherries manned the barricades with lone striker Callum Wilson sacrificed to bring on substitute stopper Darryl Flahavan but it was to no avail as Hughes rifled home Martin’s cut-back from the edge of the box with nine minutes to play.

Martin added gloss to the scoreline with a looping finish in added time after substitute Jonny Russell had scampered into acres of space down the left as Cherries pushed in vain for an equaliser.

Prior to the flashpoint, it had been a close contest. Derby kept the ball well but made little headway against their resolute visitors.

Cherries named two changes to the team that beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 on Saturday. Loan goalkeeper Artur Boruc missed out through illness so there was a return for Camp between the sticks.

Boss Eddie Howe reverted to his system of choice for away matches with midfielder Eunan O’Kane coming in for striker Yann Kermorgant and Wilson deployed as the lone front man.

Derby saw more of the ball during the opening exchanges but Cherries were the first to go close through captain Tommy Elphick from Ian Harte’s hanging corner.

The visitors were grateful for a last-ditch sliding challenge from Steve Cook with Jordan Ibe about to pull the trigger and as the pressure grew, County came tantalisingly close to the opener.

Full-back Cyrus Christie whipped in a teasing low centre which just skipped past the lurking Ward at the far post as the Rams steadily upped the ante.

Ibe continued to cause problems but Cherries looked dangerous on the break and forced arguably the most presentable opening of the half.

Matt Ritchie’s tenacity ended with Junior Stanislas slipping in Wilson who could only scuff a tame effort at grateful home keeper Lee Grant.

Derby kept pushing and when Elphick nodded away Ward’s cross, Bryson’s thumping effort on the rebound needed deflecting over the bar by Cook.

Cherries’ forays forward were few and far between before the break but when they ventured into enemy territory, they kept the ball well, albeit without seriously testing Grant.

Christie was again at the hub of another slick Derby move as the interval approached. Martin dropped deep to release the right-back who bombed into the box and hit a low shot narrowly wide of the far post.

Derby’s Russell, rumoured to be a target for Cherries at the end of the summer transfer window, was introduced for Ibe ahead of the second half but it was Cherries who fashioned the next opening.

With Derby focusing their attention on the assistant referee, Andrew Surman lashed a loose ball towards goal which was charged down by Richard Keogh. Surman and Ritchie vehemently claimed Keogh had handled the ball but Mathieson was unmoved.

Then came game’s moment of madness as Ward’s goal was chalked off and Camp was sent from the field.

Flahavan came on for his first taste of Championship football this season and immediately saw Martin's resultant free kick ricochet back off the upright.

It was at that point that irked home boss Steve McClaren went for broke, bringing on Leon Best and Jeff Hendrick in search of a winner.

Retreating Cherries found themselves camped in their own half with no-one taking up Wilson’s solitary striking berth and Derby’s patient approach eventually paid off when a series of passes found Martin in space on the left to cut back for Hughes to thump home.

In one last roll of the dice, Yann Kermorgant was thrown on by Howe but while Cherries pushed forward, Grant was never tested.

Francis fizzed in a fierce low centre in added time but it was too far ahead of Kermorgant and Derby put the cap on their victory when Russell centred for Martin to send a looping shot past Flahavan.

MATCH FACTS

Derby: Grant, Christie, Keogh, Shotton, Forsyth, Eustace (Best, 73), Bryson, Hughes, Ibe (Russell, h-t), Ward (Hendrick, 73), Martin.

Unused subs: L Naylor, Mascarell, Whitbread, Mitchell (g/k).

Cherries: Camp, Francis, Cook, Elphick, Harte, Arter (Kermorgant, 86), O'Kane, Surman, Stanislas (Pugh, 56), Ritchie, Wilson (Flahavan, 67).

Unused subs: Smith, Daniels, Gosling, Pitman.

Booked: Francis.

Sent off: Camp.

Attendance: 26, 725.

Referee: Scott Mathieson.