Substitute Darius Vassell helped light up a dull game at Pride Park and gift-wrapped another Premiership win for Aston Villa against struggling Derby.

The 19-year-old striker set up second-half goals for George Boateng and Ian Taylor as Villa found there is life without Dion Dublin, their 13-goal top scorer, who is out for three months with a broken neck.

Vassell, a 56th minute replacement for Benito Carbone, first put Boateng clear in the box to sidefoot home the visitors' 68th minute opener and then crossed for Ian Taylor to head a second 10 minutes later.

England under-21 international Vassell recently returned from a hamstring injury sustained in the 2-1 defeat at Sunderland earlier this season and it was his contribution that ensured Villa built on the win over Sheffield Wednesday last week - their first in 10 Premiership games.

Jim Smith's Derby remain in the relegation zone after the reverse to their Midlands rivals, in which visiting keeper David James made his first serious save in injury time from a Jacob Laursen free-kick.

After a dour first period, John Gregory's side upped the tempo in the second period and Carbone fired just wide within the first 60 seconds.

It was a signal of Villa's intentions as Derby keeper Mart Poom, conspicuous by his inactivity in the first-half, produced a brilliant double save to prevent the home side going a goal down three minutes into the second period.

The Estonian international first palmed Julian Joachim's cross shot onto his right-hand post before performing an incredible point-blank stop from Alan Wright after Carbone retrieved the ball from the by-line.

As Villa pressed a goal looked inevitable, Joachim forced Poom into an action replay save in the 52nd minute, the ball being diverted for a corner.

Villa, who were troubling Derby with their pace on the break, then played a trump card with the introduction of Vassell 11 minutes into the second-half and he took just 12 minutes to have an effect.

Vassell engineered Villa's opener with his pace, surging through the heart of the Derby defence before teeing up Boateng, who coolly placed the ball beyond Poom's despairing dive from eight-yards.

Then, finding space on the left-hand side, the young striker teased Craig Burley before whipping in a 78th minute cross for the unmarked Taylor to send a diving header beyond Poom to double Villa's advantage.

A minute later Vassell almost added a third, only for his shot to be deflected inches over the Rams' bar by defender Steve Elliott.

But the introduction of Vassell had secured the three points for Villa after a tedious first period.

Derby boss Smith had handed a full debut to new £3million striker Branko Strupar but he failed to spark life into the Pride Park strugglers.

It could have been different in the early stages, Seth Johnson galloped down the left-hand wing and his third-minute cross was superbly gathered at full stretch by Villa keeper James with Strupar lurking menacingly.

But the 29-year-old came in for close attention from Villa's rearguard of Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate and his only return for the day was a yellow card for kicking the ball away.

Villa, for their part, also looked lightweight in attack during a shot-shy first period in which neither goalkeeper was seriously tested.

Paul Merson, playing in the hole behind Joachim and Carbone, produced the only real effort of note in the first 45 minutes, attempting to chip Poom from 25 yards, the goalkeeper holding well above his head.

Spencer Prior missed the best chance for Derby from Johnson's 20th-minute corner, the centre-back sending a free header from eight yards well wide.

Lars Bohinen went even closer to opening the scoring midway through the period but his volley after a neat lay-off from Strupar, deflected off Ian Taylor and went inches wide of the Villa goal.

As the first-half drew to a close, it was Villa who were becoming the more potent in front of goal, Taylor and Ehiogu both sending efforts narrowly wide from Paul Merson corners.

But it was not until the second-half arrival of Vassell that Villa fully wrestled the initiative from their hosts.

Teams:

Derby: Poom, Laursen, Elliott, Prior, Dorigo (Schnoor 46), Bohinen (Christie 65), Burley, Johnson, Powell, Strupar, Burton (Robinson 75).

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Carbonari.

Booked: Strupar, Prior.

Aston Villa: James, Southgate, Ehiogu, Barry, Watson, Boateng, Merson (Stone 75), Taylor, Wright, Joachim, Carbone (Vassell 56).

Subs Not Used: Cutler, Ghrayib, Calderwood.

Goals: Boateng 68, Taylor 78.

Att: 33,222

Ref: A Wilkie (Chester Le Street).