In-form James Beattie made it a perfect 10 out of 10 as Southampton climbed to the dizzy heights of mid-table with their second win in four days.

Beattie headed home Marian Pahars' 74th-minute cross for his 10th goal in as many games to leave Derby hovering above the relegation zone.

Referee Andy D'Urso had only passed The Dell pitch fit for play after two inspections with patches of frost and ice visible on the surface and the lines painted red to make them easier to see.

But the striker with the hottest scoring streak in the country warmed up the 15,000 crowd shivering inside the Dell with a thumping header that continued Saints' climb up the table.

Southampton boss Glenn Hoddle had been forced to make three changes from the side that beat Tottenham in midweek for what he described as one of the most important games of the season.

After the 2-0 win over Spurs on Wednesday, Hoddle felt a win would lift Spurs to mid-table but defeat would leave them "back to square one" in the bottom half.

But injuries to Chris Marsden and Mark Draper and a throat infection to Dean Richards meant Hoddle had to shuffle the pack with Hassan Kachloul back from suspension and Matthew Oakley and Tahar El Khalej coming into the starting line-up.

Derby boss Jim Smith also had to make three changes, Stefano Eranio replacing Georgi Kinkladze, Danny Higginbotham in for Darryl Powell and French youngster Youl Mawene getting his Rams debut in place of Horacio Carbonari.

The Rams arrived with a run of seven clean sheets in nine league games and looked solid at the back for most of the game with debutant Mawene particularly impressive.

And it took until the 14th minute for either goalkeeper to be seriously tested as Deon Burton went close to the opening goal for the visitors.

Chris Riggott helped on Rory Delap's cross and Burton found time to launch himself into an overhead kick that just lacked the power to get past Paul Jones, the Welsh international just turning the ball past the far post.

That sparked Saints and the game into life and Kevin Davies released Marian Pahars into the area but his cross-cum-shot flashed across the face of goal.

Burton has been unable to hold down a regular starting place for Derby this season but was proving a real handful to the home defence.

The Jamaican international forced Jones into a smart save from 12 yards out, although he appeared to have brought the ball down using his hands, and as Southampton players appealed to the referee Jones was up quickly to block the follow-up from Malcolm Christie.

Burley then fired a shot just wide of Jones' right-hand post while Kachloul brought a good save low down from Mart Poom from 25 yards at the other end as the tempo and quality of the game picked up.

Pahars' pace was proving a useful outlet for Saints down the right flank and the Latvian sprinted onto Tessem's pass before delivering a right foot cross to the back of the area. Davies chested the ball down well and volleyed towards the target only for Riggott to read the danger superbly and head the powerful effort over the bar.

Saints' defender Wayne Bridge was then almost punished for a weak clearance from West's crossfield pass that fell straight to Craig Burley, but his first time shot was well held by Jones low to his right. Southampton almost conceded a comical goal within seconds of the start of the second half as Jones and two of his defenders hesitated dangerously.

Poom's long clearance was allowed to bounce on the edge of the area and as Christie threatened to steal in Jones eventually took charge only to hammer the ball straight off El Khalej and behind for a corner.

Poom then tried to get in on the comedy act as he came to the edge of his area but failed to collect Wayne Bridge's hanging cross.

The ball dropped to Pahars some 16 yards out and his right foot effort looked set to break the deadlock before Poom made amends, scrambling back to get a foot to the ball and divert is just past the post.

From the resulting corner Tessem fired just wide before Jim Smith made his first substitutions of the game, bringing on Dean Sturridge and Georgi Kinkladze for Christie and Eranio.

But it was Saints who finally broke the deadlock on 74 minutes and it was no surprise when the in-form Beattie made the breakthrough.

Pahars again found space on the right hand side and delivered a teasing cross that Beattie made his own, squeezing between two defenders to head past a despairing Poom from 10 yards for his 10th goal in as many games.

Derby never really looked like grabbing an equaliser and Kachloul went closest to adding to the scoreline with a thunderous effort that Poom turned away at his near post.

Teams

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, El Khalej, Bridge, Oakley, Kachloul, Tessem, Davies, Beattie, Pahars.

Subs Not Used: Moss, Soltvedt, Gibbens, Rosler, Bleidelis.

Goals: Beattie 73.

Derby: Poom, Mawene, Higginbotham, Riggott, West, Delap, Burley, Eranio (Kinkladze 64), Johnson, Burton,Christie (Sturridge 65).

Subs Not Used: Oakes, Bragstad, Murray.

Booked: Johnson, Burley.

Att: 15,075

Ref: A D'Urso (Billericay).