Derby County secured a dramatic 3-2 victory against Burton Albion as Conor Hourihane’s 92nd-minute winner sent the Rams one point behind leaders Portsmouth.
Derby looked like they were going to cruise to all three points when goals from Tom Barkhuizen and James Collins either side of half-time gave them a two-goal cushion.
That, however, was erased in the second half when Steve Seddon and Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill levelled the scores.
Paul Warne claimed his side were good for 50 minutes, but a wobble in the second half very nearly undid all of their good work before captain Conor Hourihane saved the day.
His sumptuous left-footed strike from the edge of the box nestled into the bottom right corner and helped the Rams secure a priceless three points in the race for promotion out of League One.
Aside from coming up with the goods when Derby needed him most, the Republic of Ireland wizard dictated proceedings in the middle of the park.
When Warne’s side were building up attacks centrally, he was at the fore of the action, making four key passes, accurately placing three long balls and two crosses, as per Sofascore.
Hourihane delivered what was a stellar captain performance, though it was the colossal presence of Eiran Cashin who was the real match-winner for Derby.
Eiran Cashin was outstanding against Burton Albion
Cashin placed himself further into the shop window after putting in an outstanding performance against Burton.
The 22-year-old, who has been linked with a move away from Pride Park, performed like a vastly experienced player at the heart of the Derby defence.
Journalist Leigh Curtis even claimed in his post-match player ratings that he “didn’t give the opposition a sniff” and that was symbolic of his display.
Not only was he a towering presence defensively, winning 10 of his 13 aerial duels, three ground duels and making three tackles, but he was also incredibly calm in possession and demonstrated his impressive passing range.
Cashin made 94 touches and attempted 25 long balls, placing a whopping 23 of them accurately.
As such, he demonstrated that he wasn’t scared to go for the risky pass and this proved crucial in Derby finding success by doing direct.
In a side that is challenging for promotion, match-winners – like Hourihane – will take the plaudits, but it was the performance of Cashin that stood out the most on Monday night.
Indeed, he looked every bit like a centre-back who could eventually step up to the Premier League.