Derby County picked up a big win in their pursuit of promotion to the Championship on Friday afternoon.
A 1-0 win over Blackpool saw the Rams immediately return to winning ways after the defeat to Northampton Town last time out.
With the sides directly below them all dropping points as well, Paul Warne‘s side are now six points clear of the play-offs, in the race for automatic promotion.
It was Ebou Adams who sealed the win for Derby County on Friday. The midfielder’s stunning strike from the edge of the area was enough to secure all three points.
However, he was not the only player to impress for the hosts at Pride Park in that match.
Curtis Nelson steps up in defence
At the other end of the pitch, another player who did his job for Derby County, was Curtis Nelson.
The centre back played a big role in keeping a dangerous Blackpool attack quiet, something that did not go unnoticed.
Writing about how Nelson did against Blackpool on Friday, The Derby Telegraph said:
“What else is there to say about him that hasn’t already? He’s just a very solid defender who seldom panics and has been so consistently good. Put his body on the line to deny Joseph.”
As a result, the 30-year-old was given a rating of 8/10 for his latest performance for Derby County.
Indeed, according to SofaScore, Nelson made three clearances, won one tackle and blocked one shot for his side against Blackpool.
The centre back was also successful in three of the four duels he was involved in during that match.
He was effective on the ball too. The Derby County man completed 41 of the 48 passes he played on Friday. That success rate of 85% was the second highest of any man to start the game for the Rams.
This therefore, was another solid performance from Nelson for Warne’s side, in a crucial game.
Derby County must look to keep Curtis Nelson
There can be no doubt that the Rams will surely be looking to retain the services of Nelson beyond the end of this season.
The centre back has been an excellent find for the club since joining on a free transfer last summer.
Indeed, matches such as this where he makes these big contributions, show how important he is for Derby County.
However, he will be entering the last 12 months of his contract in the summer. That could therefore raise some questions about his future.
But when he is performing like this, you can be certain that those around Pride Park will want to keep him.
Indeed, if Derby County do win promotion this season, his experience in the Championship could certainly be vital.
As a result, it does feel as though the two parties can look forward to a rather productive future together at this moment in time.