Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from Pride Park Stadium

Second-half goals from Robbie Keane, Younes Kaboul and Dimitar Berbatov ended Derby's mini-run and earned Spurs a 3-0 victory at Pride Park this afternoon.

But that doesn't tell the whole story as the Rams once again showed improvements as they had done in recent weeks despite going down to a margin of victory that hugely flattered the visitors.

Tito Villa and Giles Barnes had come close in the first half, while Roy Carroll produced a couple of fine saves either side of half-time.

But Keane's close-range finish on 67 opened the scoring, Younes Kaboul scored a classy second ten minutes later and Berbatov's penalty wrapped it up in stoppage-time.

Giles Barnes and Stephen Pearson were back in the Derby County line-up for the visit of Spurs, taking the place of Laurent Robert - not in the 16 - and Hossam Ghaly, unable to play against his parent club.

Tito Villa also returned to the starting XI after his goalscoring introduction as a substitute seven days ago against Birmingham City, while David Jones and new signing Mile Sterjovski were among the substitutes.

Spurs included ex-Ram Tom Huddlestone at the heart of their defence with Jonathan Woodgate suspended, though they surprisingly left Dimitar Berbatov out of their starting line-up with Darren Bent taking his place.

Derby started brightly, backed by another sell-out Pride Park crowd, and had the early possession with Huddlestone just intercepting a Craig Fagan pass three minutes in to prevent Barnes from running clear.

The pressure continued and Radek Cerny saved well from Kenny Miller, but the Scot's effort wouldn't have counted anyway as the flag had already gone up for offside.

Six minutes in Roy Carroll - on his home debut - was called into action for the first time as Spurs broke through Aaron Lennon, who fed Bent to the right of goal, but Carroll saved well.

Seconds later the Northern Ireland international had to be at his sharpest to keep out a low Robbie Keane effort from the edge of the box.

And on ten the Rams were forced into their first change as Darren Moore - passed fit after struggling following the draw at Birmingham - couldn't continue, his place taken by Andy Todd.

Bizarrely, Spurs then followed suit as Michael Dawson hobbled off, though before they could replace him with Younes Kaboul there was time for a quick Rams break that saw Cerny save Villa's shot.

The best opportunity of the game so far arrived on 23 minutes with the white tide continuing.

Pearson picked up the ball in midfield and drove forward before feeding Barnes, who was clear on Cerny inside the box but screwed his shot wide when he had time to pick his spot.

Derby looked in danger on the half-hour mark as Bent broke down the left and pulled the ball back for Lennon, who went down as Todd challenged him on the edge of the box.

Replays proved inconclusive, both on the exact location of the challenge and the level of contact.

Only a superb Carroll save soon afterwards prevented Spurs taking the lead as Lennon scampered down the right and pulled the ball back for Kaboul, who met it with a well-struck volley no more than eight yards from goal.

Spurs' next real break nine mintues later presented them with another opportunity, this time for Jenas, but England's latest new goalscorer was well off the mark from 20 yards.

Leacock was cautioned for a centre-circle foul on Malbranque, though it wasn't the most dangerous challenge ever seen and perhaps warranted only a talking-to from referee Martin Atkinson.

But Spurs were certainly rattled by Derby's confident performance throughout the first 45 minutes and it was the home side who ended it on top.

The first opportunity of the second period fell to Derby as Pearson and Barnes combined to feed Miller, whose 20-yard shot was deflected over the bar.

And the second soon followed for Fagan, but the number 11 couldn't get enough purchase on his effort after Spurs failed to clear Robbie Savage's free-kick.

The game was starting to open up and half-time substitute Jamie O'Hara, on for Kevin-Prince Boateng, saw his first opportunity to move forward on 52 before he fed Alan Hutton, who shot wastefully wide of the near post.

Seconds later a free-kick was allowed to bounce inside the box for Huddlestone, but Carroll was once again sharp with the save.

Miller's 57th-minute foul on O'Hara earned the Scot a booking but it also gave Spurs the break in play they needed to introduce Berbatov in place of Bent.

But all the pressure was coming from Derby, and on the hour Barnes might have done better than to scuff a volley safely wide from the edge of the box.

Keane struck a post at the other end, though as with Miller's earlier effort it wouldn't have counted due to a raised offside flag.

Though the visitors opened the scoring on 67 minutes with a goal greatly against the run of play.

Malbranque was left in too much space on the left to cut in and fire a shot across goal that Carroll saved well, but Keane was on hand to tap the rebound home from close-range.

Berbatov was coming back from an offside position as the ball found its way out to Malbranque, and under the letter of the law there was nothing wrong with the goal.

But it gave Spurs a lift and they almost made it two six minutes later after a mazy run from Lennon, who dinked a ball to the back post where both O'Hara and Berbatov couldn't quite reach it.

Seconds later Carroll came to the Rams' rescue with a pair of fine saves from Jenas and Berbatov, before Sterjovski was thrown on for his Derby debut in place of Savage.

And on 77 the Rams' third and final change arrived with David Jones on for his first appearance since November to take the place of Marc Edworthy.

But three minutes later Spurs doubled their lead.

A corner from the left was allowed to bounce twice inside the box before it was nodded down to Kaboul, who turned past Todd and fired a powerful left-footer into the corner and past Barnes on the line.

The visitors had stepped up a gear since going in front but the balance of play suggested that a 2-0 scoreline was extremely harsh on Derby.

Derby tried hard to get back in the game and quickly forced a couple of corners that Jones swung in well but Kaboul was back to his more familiar defensive duties to head clear.

And Berbatov wrapped the game up in stoppage-time from the penalty spot after Stubbs had been called for handball on a Malbranque cross.

Spurs showed more quality, of that there is no doubt, but a 3-0 scoreline flattered them greatly.

DERBY: Carroll, Edworthy (Jones 77), Leacock, Stubbs, Villa, Fagan, Miller, Moore (Todd 10), Pearson, Barnes, Savage (C) (Sterjovski 74).

SUBS: Price (GK), Earnshaw.

SPURS: Cerny, Chimbonda, Jenas, Keane (C), Malbranque, Boateng (O'Hara HT), Dawson (Kaboul 14), Huddlestone, Bent (Berbatov 57), Lennon, Hutton.

SUBS: Robinson (GK), Gunter.

ATTENDANCE: 33,058 (3,032 visiting fans).