Derby County celebrate after scoring Image source, Shutterstock
Image caption,

Lars-Jorgen Salvesen scored Derby's second goal of the game

ByDan George
BBC Sport England at Fratton Park

Derby County picked up their first Championship win of the season as Sammie Szmodics and substitute Lars-Jorgen Salvesen scored in a clinical away performance at Portsmouth.

Szmodics snuck the Rams into an early lead as he collected the ball in the box and found the net via a Portsmouth defender and Blues keeper Daniel Bielica.

The visitors doubled their advantage just after the hour mark when Salvesen lashed in from the edge of the area moments after coming off the bench.

Pompey have now lost three of their four league games this campaign including both matches at Fratton Park.

Before kick-off the crowd paid tribute to 14-year-old Pompey supporter Beau Croucher who died last month after being hit by a bus.

Earlier on Tuesday it was also announced that club legend Alan Knight had died aged 65 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024.

Tributes will be paid to Knight on Saturday.

On the pitch the Rams snuck themselves into the lead after 16 minutes when Bobby Clark broke down the right and pulled the ball back into the box for Szmodics.

The forward spun and managed to squeeze the ball in, aided by a couple of deflections.

Pompey's Abu Kamara wanted a penalty after 30 minutes as he broke into space down the right and went down in the box, but referee Sam Allison waved away claims for a spot kick.

The hosts came close to equalising early in the second half - Zak Swanson swung a cross into the box that ended up having to be diverted behind via the upright by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

The resulting corner was cleared only as far as Kamara who sent a powerful shot towards goal but it was deflected narrowly wide.

Derby doubled their lead after 60 minutes as Oscar Fraulo found substitute Salvesen who took a touch that lofted the ball into the air and fired the effort home on the volley into the top left-hand corner.

Portsmouth have the chance to pick up their first home points of the season on Saturday when they face Cardiff, while John Eustace's Rams go to West Ham.

Player of the match

Number: 11 S. Szmodics
Average rating 8.10
Number: 10 A. Segečić
Average Rating: 4.71
Number: 25 R. Kavuma-McQueen
Average Rating: 4.65
Number: 24 T. Devlin
Average Rating: 4.52
Number: 38 E. Adams
Average Rating: 4.49
Number: 27 O. Bailey
Average Rating: 4.34
Number: 11 A. Kamara
Average Rating: 4.33
Number: 29 Marezi
Average Rating: 4.21
Number: 28 L. Brooke-Smith
Average Rating: 4.20
Number: 22 Z. Swanson
Average Rating: 4.17
Number: 19 R. Shein
Average Rating: 4.17
Number: 7 M. Pack
Average Rating: 4.11
Number: 2 B. Arthur
Average Rating: 4.11
Number: 31 D. Bielica
Average Rating: 3.90
Number: 37 Iyad Mohamed
Average Rating: 3.86
Number: 55 M. Dia
Average Rating: 3.76
Number: 9 C. Bishop
Average Rating: 3.43

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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