Derby County romped to a 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers and equalled a club record of 12 away wins in one season.
As Portsmouth dropped points to 10-man Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers drew to Exeter City, Derby moved into the automatic promotion places by dispatching Bristol Rovers.
The Rams appear to be hitting form at the right time having beaten Port Vale at home last weekend while watching rivals falter.
It was the near-perfect performance from Paul Warne’s men as Dwight Gayle scored for the second time in as many matches and Martyn Waghorn came off the bench to bag his first goal since October after recovering from a long-term calf injury.
Derby are now five points behind leaders Portsmouth, who they play at the start of April, so the possibility of winning automatic promotion is in their own hands.
Given the margin of the result, there were several stand-out performers from the visitors and while the goalscorers will take the plaudits, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was equally dangerous cutting in from the left.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was ‘so sharp’ against Bristol Rovers
Warne has had to rely on the quality of Mendez-Laing throughout this campaign and the 31-year-old has often produced a moment of brilliance when it mattered.
On this occasion, he didn’t get his name on the scoresheet, but he did look deadly on the counter-attack and his pass into the path of Barkhuizen, who dispatched his chance into the roof of the net, was inch perfect.
The former Cardiff City winger now has eight goals and a whopping 16 assists in League One this term, placing him well ahead at the top of the assist charts.
Leigh Curtis, writing in his post-match player ratings for the Derby Telegraph, described Mendez-Laing as looking “so sharp” on the counter-attack and picked out one of his “trademark” qualities.
Awarding him an 8/10 match rating, he wrote: “Shot wide of the post in the first half when he did his trademark shift onto his right foot. Grabbed yet another assist and is so sharp on the counter. 8”
Mendez-Laing’s form is crucial in the promotion race
There isn’t any other attacking player in the Derby squad who is quite as consistent as Mendez-Laing, but his form between now and April could determine whether the Rams get promoted, or fall short.
Carlton Palmer believes they will go up automatically and on the evidence of today’s performance, he could be right.
However, there is still a lot of football to play and two season-defining fixtures against Bolton and Portsmouth to come.
Warne will need Mendez-Laing fully fit and firing for those matches, in particular, if Derby are to finish in the top two.