Jeff Hendrick bagged an 82nd-minute winner as Derby County kicked off their Championship season with a win by beating a spirited Rotherham United side 1-0 at the iPro Stadium today.
The newly-promoted Millers looked on course to register a point on their return to the second tier, but Hendrick pounced with eight minutes remaining to give Steve McClaren's side all three points.
The Rams, who suffered the heartbreak of losing the playoff final in May, flew out of the traps and could have gone ahead as early as the first minute.
Chris Martin, who struck 22 goals for County last season, nearly picked up where he left off but, after reaching Craig Bryson's near-post cross, glanced his header wide of the mark.
Derby would have taken the lead if not for the athleticism of goalkeeper Adam Collin, who produced a tidy save to deny Johnny Russell from six yards out.
Steve Evans's side grew into the clash eventually and were unfortunate not to boast a half-time lead themselves, as Kari Arnason saw his diving header cleared off the line on the 30-minute mark.
Last season's beaten playoff finalists threw the kitchen sink at Rotherham in an effort to edge ahead, but Evans's men successfully rebuked everything that came their way.
However, their resistance finally waned when Hendrick fired Cyrus Christie's cut-back pass beyond Collin to snatch the win.
Shane Callaghan
