Derby County boss John Eustace haunted his old club Blackburn again as he masterminded his third win over them in just under a year to compound Rovers’ relegation worries.
Hayden Carter headed Blackburn in front before former Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz, Matt Clarke and Rhian Brewster netted for rampant Derby as they scored three in the second half.
The rousing win rekindles Derby’s play-off push after they had lost three of their previous four games.
The result also underlines the tough task Michael O’Neill has at Blackburn, having now lost his past two games, despite taking the lead, after winning his opening two matches.
The gulf in experience between the two sides at Pride Park was vast and Blackburn faded horribly in the second half.
Derby’s Brereton Diaz, Sammie Szmodics, Lewis Travers and Dion Sanderson had made a total of 544 Blackburn appearances and scored 97 goals between them.
O’Neill’s Blackburn starting XI had a combined 408 appearances and 33 goals for Rovers.
Brereton Diaz saw his shot saved by Balazs Toth before the Rovers goalkeeper denied Patrick Agyemang from a narrow angle on the left.
Blackburn had their moments and Yuki Ohashi turned Clarke in the box, only to drag his shot across goal, before Yuri Ribeiro had an effort saved by Derby goalkeeper Josh Vickers.
The visitors then took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Travers conceded a stupid free-kick outside his own box on the left and Ribeiro, who was making his first start since December, swung over a great delivery for Carter to head into the far corner in first-half stoppage time for his first goal since May 2023.
It should have been 2-0 just after the break when Andri Gudjohnsen chested the ball down and blazed wide.
Brereton Diaz finished off a fine Derby move to equalise on 55 minutes. Derry John Murkin pulled the ball back to Brereton Diaz, who took a touch to control the ball before firing home his fifth Rams goal of the season.
Derby went in front when ex-Rams defender Eiran Cashin was at fault and Szmodics pulled Brewster’s cross back across goal for Clarke to score his second of the season.
Brewster secured victory when he added a third eight minutes from time, heading home Murkin’s left-wing cross from close range.