Rams claim first-leg advantage

Derby came from behind to take a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their Coca-Cola Championship play-off semi-final against Southampton

Andrew Surman (7) put the Saints ahead with a curling shot beyond Stephen Bywater's despairing dive, before Steve Howard (36) planted a firm header past Bartosz Bialkowski to level the scores.

Howard (58) tucked away the winner from the spot after Pedro Pele had felled Stephen Pearson just inside the box.

Saints will look back on a number of missed chances, however, with Marek Saganowski twice rattling the woodwork. The division's top scorers away from home will still feel they are in the tie, but they have just three days to work on some distinctly rusty finishing or a third season outside the top flight beckons.

Surman struck in the seventh minute, cutting in on his favoured left foot, exchanging passes with Saganowski on the edge of the area and hitting a sublime curling shot past Stephen Bywater's despairing dive.

And Derby grabbed the equaliser when former Saints stalwart Matt Oakley floated a cross towards Howard, whose firm header back across goal gave Bialkowski no chance.

Moments later Saganowski crashed his shot from just inside the area against the bar with Bywater beaten, before Oakley flashed a shot narrowly wide.

The Saints fell behind when Pearson made his way into the penalty area and drew a clumsy foul from Pele.

Howard tucked the penalty past the outstretched palm of Bialkowski for his 19th goal of the season.

Jonathan Macken then struck a post with a volley on the turn as the Rams went for the throat but they received a let-off in the 68th minute when Saganowski thumped Djamel Belmadi's cut-back against the crossbar, and acrobatically sent the rebound wide.