Derby County 1-0 Bristol City
Adam Baker reports from Pride Park

Gary Teale broke ten-man City's resistance with five minutes remaining to give Derby County victory at Pride Park.

Jamie McCombe's 56th minute dismissal for two bookable offences turned an open game. In the first half Alvaro Saborio saw two brilliant chances go begging.

But from the moment City were reduced to ten men they were on the back foot. Wayward finishing and resolute defending looked to have helped City to a point, until Teale's late intervention.

City carved out a glorious chance inside the opening two minutes as Bradley Orr's cross from the right picked out Saborio unmarked in the middle. The on-loan Sion forward's header went straight at Stephen Bywater and the Derby keeper pounced on the rebound before Saborio could scramble it in.

Alvaro Saborio is denied after just two minutes at Derby

Further opportunities following with Marvin Elliott and Saborio both seeing efforts from distance blocked.

Derby were almost gifted an opener on 23 minutes as Jamie McCombe slipped to allow Robbie Savage a run at goal. The midfielder opted to tee-up his team-mate James Vaughan in the middle but from just 12 yards he missed the target.

Orr sent a curling effort inches wide of Bywater's right-hand post before seeing Sno do likewise past the other upright.

The game evolved with a real open feel as both sides attacked with real menace. Hulse flashed an attempt just past the top corner from the edge of the box, before Saborio wasted another superb opportunity.

Sno put the Costa Rican through on goal but he dallied for too long and allowed Shaun Barker the chance to block before Saborio could put City one up.

Shaun Barker gets back to deny Alvaro Saborio this chance

Before the interval Gary Teale lashed a shot over the top and then Vaughan sent a 30-yard shot straight into the waiting arms of Adriano Basso.

The bluetouch paper was duly lit straight after half-time as Derby came out of the traps flying. Chances came and went for Vaughan and Teale, before the first major talking point on 53 minutes.

Hulse got the beating of McCombe on the bye-line before being hauled down by the City defender. In frustration Hulse hurled the ball straight at McCombe before going head-to-head with the big centre-half. Referee Mick Russell chose to hand McCombe a caution for the foul but there was no punishment dished out against Hulse.

Then just three minutes later Hulse pushed the ball past McCombe down the right flank and was bodychecked by the former Lincoln City defender. With the home support baying for blood, official Russell plucked out his yellow card again for McCombe and quickly followed that up with a red.

Jamie McCombe leaves the pitch after his red card

Lewin Nyatanga was quickly brought on in place of Saborio as City re-shaped with ten men. Another change followed with Danny Haynes replacing Lee Johnson.

Derby tried to turn the screw and when Nyatanga slipped and then Basso fired his clearance straight at Hulse. It gifted Croft a shot at goal with Basso out of position but the former Norwich City man missed the target.

Substitute Paul Dickov fired wide from inside the box soon after. Croft shot into the body of Basso then Hulse acrobatically shot wide of goal.

Derby must have wondered how they weren't ahead before the introduction of Lee Hendrie with 12 minutes left. And the former Stoke and Aston Villa midfielder added to the host of missed chances with an awful effort from inside the box - again missing the target.

The decisive strike came with five minutes left. Teale cut in from the left flank and sent a dipping shot inside Basso's right-hand post to lift the roof off Pride Park.

Paul Connolly almost gave City a get out of jail free card with a backward header that flashed past Bywater but wide of the upright.