Tottenham piled more misery on Premier League strugglers Derby with three second-half goals in what proved to be a comfortable victory at Pride Park.

Captain Robbie Keane got the ball rolling midway through the second half before late goals from Younes Kaboul and Dimitar Berbatov's penalty sealed the win.

Derby had emerged from the half-time interval looking lively but fell behind in the 68th minute.

Steed Malbranque's right-foot shot was parried by Roy Carroll and the ball broke into the path of Keane, who simply stroked it home from six yards out for his 19th goal of the season.

Spurs took command and doubled their lead with nine minutes remaining.

Aaron Lennon's corner bounced in front of Pascal Chimbonda, who headed the ball sideways to Kaboul.

He beat a man inside the area before firing a low left-foot shot into the bottom corner from 15 yards out.

Spurs were awarded a penalty in injury-time when Alan Stubbs was adjudged to have handled Malbranque's cross.

Berbatov coolly stepped up and sent Carroll the wrong way from the spot and added gloss to only the second away win of the season for the north London club.

A full house generated a terrific atmosphere in an end-to-end opening at Pride Park.

It did not match the explosive opening of the reverse fixture at White Hart Lane in August, when Spurs ran riot to take a 3-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes, but it was entertaining all the same.

Derby will have been pleased to reach the mid-way point of the first-half unbreached after their harrowing experience in the capital six months ago, but they had Carroll to thank for that achievement.

Spurs twice came close to taking the lead in as many minutes early on.

A swift counter attack down the right-hand side saw Keane release his strike partner Darren Bent.

His angled shot from the edge of the area was straight at Carroll, who gathered the ball at the second attempt.

Soon after, Keane found space on the opposite side of the penalty box.

His low, left-foot shot across goal looked destined for the bottom corner until Carroll got down to divert the ball just past the post with the slightest of touches with his fingertips.

Darren Moore was replaced by Andy Todd after 11 minutes, the big centre-back succumbing to the hamstring problem that had made him a doubt before kick-off.

Spurs made a substitution of their own three minutes later with Michael Dawson limping off to be replaced by Kaboul.

Derby should have taken the lead in the 24th minute following a surging run by Pearson.

The Scot slipped the ball beyond the Spurs defence for Giles Barnes to latch on to but he poked the ball wide from 12 yards out when one-on-one with Radek Cerny.

Spurs worked Carroll again just after the half-hour mark when Lennon got to the byline and cut the ball back to the edge of the six-yard box where Kaboul shot tamely at the Northern Ireland international.

Dean Leacock received a yellow card for a foul on Malbranque inside the centre circle four minutes before the break.

Ramos made his second substitution of the game at half-time with Kevin-Prince Boateng making way for Jamie O'Hara.

Derby started the second half brightly. Kenny Miller's fierce right-foot shot was deflected wide in the 47th minute before Cerny quickly got down to his right-hand side to smother a low effort by Craig Fagan soon after.

Spurs responded and Lennon slipped the ball to the overlapping Alan Hutton but his shot from the right-hand side of the area did not trouble Carroll.

A minute later O'Hara's left-wing free-kick somehow found its way to Tom Huddlestone at the far post, and his well-struck shot was palmed wide by Carroll.

Miller was booked for a foul on Hutton in the 58th-minute, the stop in play allowing Spurs to bring Berbatov on for Bent.

Ten minutes later and Spurs were ahead through Keane.

Neat interplay between Jenas and Berbatov almost produced a second goal for Spurs in the 74th minute.

The Bulgarian received the ball from Jenas with his back to goal on the edge of the box before putting the England midfielder, a goal scorer for his country against Switzerland in midweek, in the clear.

His angled shot was parried by Carroll and the Derby defence stood still as Berbatov reacted to the rebound, but Carroll recovered to brilliantly palm his follow up wide.

Derby boss Paul Jewell made two substitutions in a bid to turn the game Derby's way.

Mile Sterjovski made his debut as a 74th-minute replacement for Robbie Savage, before David Jones came on for Marc Edworthy four minutes later.

But it was to no avail as Spurs put the game beyond their hosts with two late goals.

Teams:

Derby Carroll, Leacock, Stubbs, Moore (Todd 11), Edworthy (Jones 78), Fagan, Savage (Sterjovski 74), Pearson, Barnes, Villa, Miller.

Subs Not Used: Price, Earnshaw.

Booked: Leacock, Miller, Stubbs, Jones.

Tottenham Cerny, Hutton, Dawson (Kaboul 14), Huddlestone, Chimbonda, Lennon, Jenas, Malbranque, Boateng (O'Hara 46), Keane, Bent (Berbatov 58).

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Gunter.

Booked: Chimbonda.

Goals: Keane 68, Kaboul 81, Berbatov 90 pen.

Att: 33,058

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).