A goal from each of their full-backs earned Derby a much-needed victory over nine-man Gillingham which boosted their hopes of avoiding the drop.

Left-back Jamie Vincent made an instant impact on his debut by giving his new club a 14th-minute lead and later in the first half saw his opposite number John Hills sent off for a second bookable offence.

Just after the hour-mark right-back Rob Edwards, on loan from Aston Villa, made it 2-0 and although Tommy Johnson pulled a goal back, Gillingham's hopes were extinguished when Ian Cox was also dismissed.

Gillingham, unbeaten in four matches away from home, started better and Johnson, playing against one of his former clubs, struck the first shot after five minutes but fired over the crossbar.

Then his new team-mate Patrick Agyemang spurned two much better chances to open the scoring.

Agyemang, signed from Wimbledon this week, got in a couple of efforts from close range within two minutes but goalkeeper Lee Grant proved equal to both.

Hills became the first player booked after 11 minutes for a foul on Candido Costa, but worse was to come as the visitors found themselves behind against the run of play.

Marcus Tudgay was fouled on the edge of the area and Vincent, a free-transfer recruit from Portsmouth, curled a terrific left-foot free-kick round the wall and into the top left corner of the net.

The goal settled Derby and they thwarted any prospect of a quick response from Gillingham, whose task was made even harder in the 36th minute when Hills was sent off for his second bookable offence, pulling back Manuel Manel who was counter-attacking for the hosts.

That gave Derby another lift as Ian Taylor, Costa and Tom Huddlestone all went close just before the break, Gillingham's on-loan goalkeeper Nico Vaesen keeping his side in touch with a couple of fine saves.

The second period began in the same vein with Vaesen tipping a Taylor header over the crossbar and then holding a Manel shot, although Johnson had a good opportunity to equalise after 51 minutes with a close-range header from a Danny Spiller cross which flew wide.

Few inside Pride Park could have been surprised when Derby doubled their lead in the 62nd minute. Costa's corner was only partially cleared by Nyron Nosworthy and the ball fell 25 yards out to Edwards, whose shot took a bobble but still found its way past Vaesen.

Hessenthaler had seen enough and went on in place of Spiller, with the change reaping a dividend within eight minutes as Johnson hammered home a long-range shot.

With 13 minutes left Cox was sent off by referee Ian Wright having committed two bookable offences in two minutes, leaving the Rams able to play out time to secure the points.

Teams

Derby: Grant, Edwards, Mawene, Johnson, Vincent, Costa (Bolder 90), Taylor, Huddlestone, Reich, Manel (Labarthe Tome 84), Tudgay.

Subs Not Used: Camp, Jackson, Holmes.

Goals: Vincent 14, Edwards 61.

Gillingham: Vaesen, Nosworthy, Cox, Hope, Hills, Smith, Spiller (Hessenthaler 62), Saunders, Tommy Johnson (Crofts 82), Henderson (Leon Johnson 39), Agyemang.

Subs Not Used: Bossu, James.

Sent Off: Hills (39), Cox (79).

Booked: Hills, Tommy Johnson, Cox, Hessenthaler.

Goals: Tommy Johnson 69.

Att: 20,473

Ref: K Wright (East Anglia).