Derby County enter the second international break of the season with an important win yet again in front of the Pride Park crowd.
The Rams had endured a tough run of matches that saw them fall to defeat at Sheffield United and Sunderland away alongside a difficult defeat to Norwich City at home – following some questionable officiating.
Paul Warne was looking to stop a winless run from building, taking on a QPR side that had struggled early in the season.
Derby were unable to unlock Rangers in the first half, despite dominating the play, but did so after the break.
A quick burst saw Pride Park erupt as first Curtis Nelson and then Marcus Harness found the back of the net to seal a huge 2-0 win.
Paul Warne praises Curtis Nelson for Derby performance
Yet another impressive performance for Nelson saw him keep a clean sheet for Derby alongside his impressive headed goal in the second half.
It was the defender’s second goal of the season – after his first in the opener against Blackburn Rovers – proving to be yet another big contribution from set-pieces.
Speaking on RamsTV after the game, Warne said on the star’s goal: “As Nels [Nelson] jumps, he’s got a free header, but weirdly sometimes it’s worse having a free header.
“You can overthink it; you’re better off if someone’s challenging you and you’re sort of fighting against someone. That is some header from there.
“I said to him before the game that he was due a goal because he scored a great one at Blackburn on the opening day.
“It’s good for Nels to score because he’s been an unbelievable performer again for us this season.”
It’s yet another impressive performance that is recognised by the Derby boss, coming up at an important time for the team before the two-week break.
Is Curtis Nelson among best Derby County free transfers?
Derby have had some big free transfers over the years, but Nelson may well find himself ranked among the best in recent years.
The centre-back played every minute of the League One promotion season, which saw the Rams become the best defence in the league.
With that in mind, there were some concerns over whether the experienced battler could hit the same heights in the Championship.
So far, he has proven that he can do just that and can arguably be ranked as one of the best free transfers at Pride Park.
There are also names such as Chris Martin who will be tussling for that spot, but Nelson continues to push to be top of that list.