Everton defeat is Burton made

Burton was a thorn in Everton's side

Derby 1-0 Everton

Deon Burton's first half strike was enough to give Derby all three points at the expense of Everton.

The Toffeemen have not won in six matches and never looked like breaching the Rams defence, led by the superb goalkeeping of Mart Poom.

The Estonia international made a number of outstanding saves in a match which was hampered by the wet conditions.

  Match incidents

5 mins: Burley's low effort is struck a few feet wide of the goal

12: Eranio clips his shot over the Everton crossbar

17: Watson's header comes off the woodwork

20: Burton scores from 12 yards

46: Weir's effort brilliantly saved by Poom

48: Poom comes to the rescue again - saving from Pembridge

Walter Smith's men made a bright start in the gloom but it was Derby who had the first effort on goal when midfielder Craig Burley struck a low 20-yard shot fractionally wide of Thomas Myhre.

Moments the tenacious Seth Johnson found Stefano Eranio who flicked his effort agonisingly over the Everton crossbar from five yards.

Poomy won us the game

  Derby boss Jim Smith

The Toffeemen who have looked lightweight up-front in recent games had the powerful presence of Duncan Ferguson to hold the line, but often his teammates' support play did little to help the Scotsman's valiant efforts.

The Derby defence marshalled Ferguson

The goal came 20 minutes into the game. Eranio dispossessed Thomas Gravesen, his ball into the penalty area was dummied by Malcolm Christie which allowed Burton to pass his shot into the Everton net.

The away side's best effort of the half was from Steve Watson's header, which rebounded off Mart Poom's crossbar.

The Toffeemen gave Estonia's finest a chance to stake an early claim for "Goalkeeping Performance of the Year".

We kept Derby pinned back in the second half

  Everton boss Walter Smith

Smith's men came out firing after the break and were unlucky not to equalise - David Weir's bullet header spectacularly saved by Poom.

The Rams 'keeper then showed his pedigree again stopping Pembridge fierce low shot and to add to the Merseysiders' frustration Poom denied Ferguson with another instinctive save.

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Derby: Poom, Riggott, Carbonari, West, Delap, Higginbotham, Eranio, Burley, Johnson, Christie, Burton. Subs: Kinkladze, Martin, Mawene, Oakes, Murray.

Everton: Myhre, Steve Watson, Weir, Ball, Naysmith, Gemmill, Gravesen, Pembridge, Nyarko, Ferguson, Alexandersson. Subs: Unsworth, Simonsen, Moore, Cleland, Tal.

Referee: A Wiley.