Gareth Barry's chance to prove the England manager wrong ended in embarrassment at Pride Park as his first half error gave resurgent Derby the three points.

Barry, left out of Sven-Goran Eriksson's 31-man squad for Wednesday's friendly with Spain, hoped to use the Swede's first visit to Pride Park to stake a future claim.

But for Barry it was a day to forget after he needlessly hauled down Deon Burton for a spot-kick in the 42nd minute and the Jamaican international got up to send David James the wrong way and haul the Rams further away from the Premiership relegation zone.

It was a better day for James, whose handling and awareness was faultless throughout, as he aimed to play his way into becoming Eriksson's first England number one, and for the returning Seth Johnson, who tore down the left flank with his usual gusto in his first game back after a knee injury.

The Rams had clawed their way back after a sluggish start to finish the first half with a flourish, and moments before Burton's cool penalty conversion Branko Strupar had wasted two identical chances in the space of 60 seconds to put the home side in front.

Strupar twice found himself in the clear only to twice fluff his shot straight in the arms of the relieved James.

Villa's best chance of the match came just a minute after the goal when the dangerous Dion Dublin lofted a 30-yard shot which clattered against Andy Oakes' left post, ricocheted against the goalkeeper's back and somehow squirmed away for a corner.

Indeed, ironically in a week when Eriksson put his accent firmly on youth it was two England old stagers who shone as Villa made easily the best start.

Dublin was close to diverting Ian Taylor's low 10th minute effort past Oakes and on the half hour he rose highest in the box to meet Alan Wright's cross but his shot dropped agonisingly onto the roof of the net.

Villa's fine start was inevitably orchestrated by the talismanic Merson, whose vision put him head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates and brightened up a chilly winter afternoon.

Derby opted to sit on what they had in the second half to Villa's obvious frustration, and George Boateng was lucky to stay on the pitch after a furious reaction to Johnson's sliding challenge on the hour.

Boateng leapt on top of the young left-back and after being restrained by his team-mates received only a yellow card from referee Alan Wiley, as did Johnson for the challenge.

Villa boss John Gregory, who had replaced the ineffective Juan Pablo Angel with Julian Joachim at half-time, threw on Lee Hendrie and David Ginola to give the visitors some impetus.

It worked as Villa staged a late assault which had Jim Smith's Rams resorting to last-ditch defending to keep them out.

Hendrie's first touch was a goal-bound effort blocked by the alert Chris Riggott in the box and it was once again left to the old stagers to fashion Villa's best chance of an equaliser.

Merson's 81st minute cross from the right fell perfectly onto Dublin's head but his downward header was brilliantly tipped around the right-hand post by a diving Oakes.

Oakes denied a similar effort from Dublin moments later and saved his best until last, acrobatically tipping Julian Joachim's flicked effort around the post to preserve the Rams' hard-earned three points.

Teams:

Derby: Oakes, Higginbotham, West, Riggott, Johnson, Delap, Burley, Powell, Morris (Murray 89), Strupar (Boertien 70), Burton.

Subs Not Used: Martin, Blatsis, Grant.

Booked: Johnson.

Goals: Burton 42 pen.

Aston Villa: James, Wright (Hendrie 64), Alpay, Staunton, Stone, Boateng, Merson, Taylor (Ginola 74), Barry, Dublin, Angel (Joachim 45).

Subs Not Used: Samuel, Enckelman.

Booked: Boateng.

Att: 27,289

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).