YOU know what they say... When the going gets Turf, the tough get going!

After the horror show at Burnley it was left, as so often is the case, to skipper Kevin Davies to explain away the mood of despondency within the dressing room on Saturday.

He pulled no punches, admitting that Wanderers were going to have to get stronger if they were going to live up to their billing as title favourites in the Championship.

It looked like being more of the same when for some 75 minutes, the much-improved Whites huffed and puffed without landing a killer blow. But while some questioned whether he should even be on the pitch, how fitting it was that the roughest, toughest gun-slinger in this part of town should answer his critics in such a way.

Chris Eagles then settled any late nerves with a fine finish in injury time, and add a more pleasing sheen to the scoreline, but let's not kid anyone that this was a walk in the park.

Once again, Wanderers flattered to deceive in the opening stages – creating chances for roughly 20 minutes before beginning to labour.

Mark Davies got more involved in the first 20 minutes than he did over 75 at Turf Moor at the weekend and Chung-Yong Lee also seemed to have shaken off whatever confidence issue seemed to be clouding his ability a few days earlier.

Both would have chances in the opening exchanges, although not before Derby's new signing Connor Sammon worked a chance for Nathan Tyson, which was slipped wide. With that in mind, the evening could have had a much more sombre start.

Chung-Yong then showed his pace to intercept a loose pass near the half way line and surge past Gareth Roberts. Unfortunately, the Korean ace's finish didn't match his build up and didn't trouble Frank Fielding.

Wanderers then had a very good claim for a penalty turned down by referee Craig Pawson as Mark Davies surged into the penalty box on to Chung-Yong's pass before ending up face down on the turf under a challenge from Craig Bryson.

Chris Eagles had been preferred to Martin Petrov on the left, and while full justification for his inclusion would come later on, he showed a glimpse of why he was on the pitch by putting a fine cross in for Marvin Sordell, which was headed wastefully over the bar.

For all that early dominance, Wanderers still had nothing to show for it and it stayed that way until the break when the home fans let their dis-satisfaction be known in no uncertain terms.

The half-time appearance of club legend John McGinlay boosted the mood among fans at the break but once we got back to playing, there was no sign that the half-time team talk did the trick as confusion reigned in the Whites penalty box. No sooner had Mark Davies made a goal-saving challenge on Nathan Tyson, but Richard Keogh was wheeling away in delight after turning home from close range.

Referee Pawson had other ideas and though the reason for ruling the goal out wasn't immediately apparent, it at least levelled up the penalty decision that had angered the home fans earlier in the evening.

Coyle responded to the lack of cohesion between his two strikers by bringing off Sordell for Benik Afobe – much to the annoyance of pockets of support, who one assumes would rather have seen Kevin Davies replaced.

The target man had, at least, been winning the majority of his aerial battles but a few moments later he showed the craftier side of his game to chip a delightful ball in for Afobe, whose well-struck shot brought an outstanding save from Fielding at his near post.

From there, Wanderers started to turn the screw. Mills headed a bouncing ball just over the bar before Eagles forced Fielding into action again with a low shot, then missed making connection by millimetres as Chung-Yong kept the ball alive from the byline.

It was building towards a tense finale – but the sting in the tail was well worth waiting for.

As Eagles sent another corner crashing in, Fielding managed to get in the way of the skipper's initial effort. But for once, fortune appeared to go his way as the ball fell back invitingly for him to volley into the roof of the net.

Substitute Mason Bennett could have spoiled the evening, turning with three minutes to go to hit the outside of Adam Bogdan's post.

But Eagles managed to soothe his side's troubles with some superb footwork on the edge of the box to slide a shot past Fielding.