Evening folks! This week on Monday night we have action in the Championship as third faces fourth at the iPro Stadium. Let's get straight to the teams...

DERBY XI: Grant; Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Eustace, Hughes, Bryson, Ward; Martin, Bamford

DERBY SUBS: Legzdins, Hendrick, Russell, Sammon, Bennett, Whitbread, Thorne

QPR XI: Green; Hughes, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto; Kranjcar, Carroll, Barton, O'Neil; Johnson, Doyle

QPR SUBS: Murphy, Traore, Onuoha, Jenas, Henry, Hoilett, Maiga

Righty ho, Steve McClaren goes with an unchanged Derby side while Harry Redknapp makes three changes to his QPR lineup. Aaron Hughes, Gary O'Neil and Tom Carroll come in as Nedum Onuoha, Matt Phillips and Armand Traore drop out. Traore and Onuoha are on the bench but Phillips is out injured.

Click here to see the table ahead of this match. QPR sit level on points with Burnley but are out of the top two because of their inferior goal difference. Derby are one place further back but can close the gap to just one point with a win.

REFEREE WATCH! The man in charge tonight is Michael Naylor.

When these two sides last met back in November it was QPR who got a 2-1 win.

PREDICTION TIME! Moments until kickoff in the East Midlands. I fancy an entertaining game and expect a score draw.

KICKOFF! And we're off at the iPro Stadium. Derby in their traditional white and black while QPR don their green and yellow away kit.

CHANCE! Brilliant opening inside the first minute as a long ball reaches Bamford. He looks offside but the linesman's flag doesn't go up. It looks like it's going to be an easy finish for the in-form loanee until Hughes gets back to make a fantastic last-gasp challenge.

Both sides have had early corners but they haven't resulted in any changes. Better start by Derby so far.

More Rams pressure ends when Ward's left-footed snapshot from 20 yards is smothered by Green in the visitors' goal.

QPR go up the other end and have their first shot as Johnson is given space outside the area and fires low at the target. It's too close to Grant and an easy save for the Derby keeper.

Next to have a pop for the visitors is Kranjcar, who drives at the Derby defence before dragging his 25-yard shot well wide of the target.

SAVE! Superb reaction stop from Green! The ball flew towards the roof of the net when Hill's hurried clearance hit Buxton and headed for goal. Would have been an unusual goal had it gone in.

Kevin Doyle may have scored very early on his QPR debut last time out against Burnley but he has barely seen the ball so far today.

First blood to the Rams as Green's punch clear from Hughes's corner is unconvincing and drops for Eustace. He heads the ball towards the far post where Martin outmuscles O'Neil on the line so that the ball drops into the corner. QPR aren't happy as they feel that Martin impeded O'Neil but it looked like a fair challenge. Eustace's first goal since he joined Derby in the summer.

BOOKING! The first yellow card goes to Assou-Ekotto for a high tackle on Bamford. QPR are still angry with the goal and need to calm down and focus.

Derby have had several corners already and they've looked threatening from all of them. The latest just misses Buxton at the near post before whizzing across the face of goal.

Kranjcar is lucky to escape a booking after sliding in very late on Keogh. The visitors are used to seeing plenty of the ball in games but are struggling to retain possession this evening.

Probably QPR's best chance of the match as Eustace's wayward pass is picked up by Kranjcar, who rolls it into Johnson whose low shot is blocked away by Buxton.

The heat of the game has simmered down a little bit now after that fiery few minutes following Derby's goal. McClaren will be over the moon with how his players have frustrated the visitors so far.

Worrying signs for the home side as Ward falls to the turf with what looks like an ankle injury. Looks like the winger's game is over.

DERBY SUB: It's Johnny Russell who is sent on in Ward's place. A like-for-like replacement and one that shouldn't affect Derby.

SAVE! Almost a first Rangers goal for Hughes as O'Neil picks him out at the back post. The recent signing aimed his header to the far corner but there wasn't quite enough power on it so Grant was able to push wide.

Robert Green, you are one lucky boy! He lets Assou-Ekotto's pass slip under his control but is able to dash back and hook it away with Martin lurking.

So it's Derby who have the advantage thanks to John Eustace's loopy header that found the far corner. QPR weren't happy with Chris Martin's challenge on Gary O'Neil on the line but it looked fair enough to me. Martin is far bigger and more athletic and simply got up earlier than the QPR man.

The stats show that it's been a very even half at the iPro Stadium. Derby are edging possession with 52% of the ball while both sides have got two of their four shots on target.

QPR SUBS: Redknapp has wasted no time in making a change, bringing on the pacy duo of Modibo Maiga and Junior Hoilett for Andy Johnson and Gary O'Neil.

KICKOFF! The second 45 is underway and already there's been a couple of tasty challenges.

CLOSE! Derby inches within a second as Bamford switches play to Russell and the Scot's whipped centre flashes across the six-yard box, just evading Bamford coming in.

The hosts continue to look dangerous from set pieces, with the latest worked short to Russell, whose clipped cross to the back post was turned goalwards by Eustace but blocked by a green shirt.

BOOKING! Kranjcar is the second name in the book for a late challenge on Bamford. From the resulting free kick Buxton flicks a header a yard or so wide. Excellent start to the second half by Derby.

Kranjcar's menacing cross from the left goes past everyone in the middle and is collected by Grant on the line. England Under-21 head coach Gareth Southgate is watching on and there's plenty for him to keep an eye on with the likes of Wisdom, Bamford, Hughes and Carroll playing.

Redknapp has already sent on his two most dangerous subs in Maiga and Hoilett so doesn't really have an attacking card to play. Jermaine Jenas is probably his most forward-thinking player left in the dugout.

BOOKING! The first Derby name in the book is left-back Forsyth for a foul on Hoilett.

Derby should perhaps have a penalty as Hill tugs at Buxton from a corner. You see it all the time though and I would have been surprised if Naylor had pointed to the spot.

SHOT! Barton has been in the thick of the action all night but not done much in a creative sense. He changes that by feinting past his man and then letting fly with his left foot. It's well struck but easy for Grant to save at his near post.

BOOKING! That's the bad side of Barton as he commits his umpteenth foul by bundling into Russell.

Bryson's curling delivery just has too much on it and Keogh can't make contact. You feel that Derby might live to regret not finding a second goal.

DERBY SUB: Peroxide blonde midfielder Hughes looks to have picked up an ankle strain and comes off for Jeff Hendrick.

Barton's dinked cross from the left is headed away from danger by Martin with Maiga lurking just behind. Excellent defending from the striker.

QPR are turning the screw here and again it's good Derby defending from Buxton after Kranjcar's flick looked to be heading goalwards.

Bryson reverses the ball into Martin but he can't take it in his stride and fires over with the ball behind him.

BOOKING! Dunne is the latest QPR player to be booked for a full-blooded lunge on Forsyth. Free kick to Derby in an inviting position that's deflected over by Buxton.

QPR SUB: As expected, Jenas is the last throw of the dice for Redknapp as he takes off Carroll for the experienced midfielder.

DERBY SUB: McClaren makes his third and final change as Connor Sammon replaces Bamford. The latter had scored four goals in four games since joining on loan from Chelsea but hasn't been able to make it five in five.

Hoilett close for the visitors as he charges into the area before lashing a left-foot volley into the side-netting. Grant had it covered.

Remember, if Derby hold on here they will move to within a point of both Burnley and opponents QPR in second and third place. A huge result for the Rams if they hang on.

The quality of football in this match has been far from brilliant but Derby won't care a jot if they can get one over on one of their promotion rivals.

BOOKING! Derby keeper Grant is cautioned for time-wasting.

Tonight's attendance at the iPro Stadium 23,495, including 541 travelling QPR supporters.

FIVE minutes have been added on by the referee. Can QPR find an equaliser?

A free-kick chance for QPR but Barton's inswinger is well defended by Rams captain Keogh.

It's the first time that Derby have won a game against one of the top six this season and a vital three points for the Rams' automatic-promotion hopes.

Click here to see the latest table ahead of tomorrow's six fixtures. Derby are now within a point of second place but Burnley and QPR do have a game in-hand.

Anyway, thanks for joining Sports Mole tonight. Make sure you come back tomorrow for plenty more action! See you then.