Jim Smith's side shrugged off the dismissal of Costa Rica striker Paolo Wanchope to grab victory in front of the biggest crowd ever at Pride Park.

BBC Radio 5 Live's Peter Slater reports from Pride Park

Jonathan Hunt scored the winning goal five minutes from time to send the majority of the 32,726 fans home happy.

It was a further blow to Middlesbrough's hopes of winning a place in Europe next season following the Boxing Day defeat by Liverpool but they remain in a handy eighth place.

Dean Sturridge put unsettling transfer talk out of his mind to score Derby's opener, while 'Boro midfielder Paul Gascoigne was taken off before half-time after starting the match well.

Smith shows faith

Home boss Jim Smith gave Sturridge his backing by including him in the side despite speculation linking him with Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester.

Sturridge had scored only eight goals in the past 12 months but he quickly won over the crowd with a cross which led to Lars Bohinen firing straight at Mark Schwarzer.

Townsend (left): Involved in Wanchope's sending off

The Middlesbrough 'keeper completed an easy pick-up after Sturridge could only muster a tame shot following an earror by Gianluca Festa, while Mart Poom did well to block Hamilton Ricard's effort at the other end.

But Derby took the lead in the 28th minute when Sturridge lifted the ball over Schwarzer after a move which began with Bohinen dispossessing Andy Townsend in midfield.

'Boro boss Bryan Robson decided to replace Gascoigne and Phil Stamp with Mikkel Beck and Curtis Fleming four minutes before the break, but the next major incident resulted in Wanchope being shown the red card.

He reacted to a hard challenge by Townsend and the referee sent him off, while only booking the Middlesbrough player.

'Boro chase equaliser

Lee Carsley was just off target with an angled shot in the 49th minute but the second half saw the visitors striving hard to make their extra man count.

Beck had one shot saved and another flew wide, but the Dane got it right third time as he headed past Poom from eight yards after 77 minutes from Dean Gordon's cross.

But Derby showed the greater zest in the closing stages with Sturridge creating the winner after having a shot saved by Schwarzer.

His ball was met by Daryll Powell, who headed the ball goalwards and the unmarked Hunt forced it past the goalkeeper to crown only his third appearance of the season.

Derby: Poom, Carbonari, Powell, Sturridge, Wanchope, Bohinen, Laursen, Prior, Carsley, Elliott, Eranio. Subs: Hoult, Harper, Christie, Kozluk, Hunt.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Gordon, Vickers, Festa, Gascoigne, Deane, Stamp, Townsend, Ricard, Stockdale, Cooper. Subs: Fleming, Moore, Beck, Beresford, Maddison.