Ruud Gullit has always insisted he does not necessarily want Newcastle to play sexy football - but at Pride Park today he saw his side give a display which was impossible not to fall in love with.

Shorn of big-money trio Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson and Dietmar Hamann, the Magpies could have been excused had they tried to grind out a result, especially as they went into the match on the back of two defeats.

But if football can indeed be sexy, then Newcastle were the sport's equivalent of Miss World, their incisive passing and general play far too good for a Derby side which afforded them far too much possession.

It was like the good old, bad old days for Jim Smith's team, with the brilliant attacking form of last season going hand-in-hand with a tendency to make calamitous mistakes at the back.

Without captain Igor Stimac, the Rams lacked leadership and direction in defence and Newcastle - even without £23million strikeforce Shearer and Ferguson - caused their opponents all sorts of problems with play which was as bright as the warm Easter sunshine.

True, the Magpies were hardly secure at the back - Nikos Dabizas was at fault for Derby's first two goals - but the way they cut their hosts to shreds was reminiscent of the form Kevin Keegan's side used to display.

And they showed real resilience and commendable character to twice come from behind and claim all three points.

Derby - whose UEFA Cup hopes are now in tatters - went 1-0 and 2-1 ahead in a hectic, thrill-a-minute first half, Deon Burton's overhead kick and a penalty from Francesco Baiano putting them in front.

But Gary Speed grabbed two equalisers for Newcastle before Temuri Ketsbaia's deflected drive gave them the half-time advantage.

They always looked the more likely to score again after the interval and Nolberto Solano earned the visitors the luxury of a two-goal cushion with a searing volley which screamed beyond Russell Hoult.

Sub Paulo Wanchope halved the arrears in stoppage time but the Rams were unable to find another goal which would have given them a draw they would not have deserved.

Indeed, it could have been worse for Derby, with Solano striking a post and the effervescent Andy Griffin denied by Lars Bohinen's goal-line clearance with Hoult beaten.

But Newcastle had already done enough to seal the victory as the Rams defence - so miserly earlier in the season - let in its 10th goal in three games.

It had all started so well for Derby, who had won six of their seven home matches since Christmas before today.

Burton fired his side in front with his 12th goal of the campaign on eight minutes, pouncing after Baiano's acrobatic effort had come back off the bar and Dabizas failed to clear.

But within three minutes Newcastle were level, Speed taking advantage of slack County marking to head home unchallenged from 10 yards out after getting on the end of Griffin's cross.

Derby retook the lead in the 21st minute, with Dabizas again in the wrong as he pulled Baiano back just inside the area.

The Italian was trying to reach Bohinen's pass but though it appeared Given would beat him to the ball, the Greek defender still decided to foul him.

Referee Dermot Gallagher immediately pointed to the spot and Baiano stepped up to place the penalty just out of the reach of the diving Given.

However, Derby did not take heed of the earlier lesson and they again allowed their opponents to equalise inside three minutes.

Speed's angled 20-yard free-kick caught Burton on the end of the wall and that was enough to divert the shot past Hoult, who was rooted to the spot by the ricochet.

Given's superb one-handed save denied Mikkel Beck a goal on his debut and Newcastle grabbed a lead they were never to relinquish on 39 minutes.

The Rams failed to close down Ketsbaia 25 yards out and his drive took a wicked deflection off Stefan Schnoor to wrong-foot Hoult again.

Derby lacked ideas after the interval, though Burton bundled the ball just wide, and Solano all but put the result beyond doubt on the hour with his fierce shot.

Smith sent on Wanchope and Dean Sturridge in a bid to haul his side back into contention and the two combined to pull a goal back, Sturridge's cross headed home by Wanchope from six yards.

But it was too little, too late for Derby, with Newcastle already having done enough to secure the victory.