NEWCASTLE moved back to the top of the Championship table as Matt Ritchie’s deflected first-half strike secured a 1-0 win over Derby County.

Rams boss Steve McClaren endured a frustrating return to St James’ Park, having been dismissed as Newcastle head coach last March, with Ritchie’s fourth goal in the last three games proving decisive.

The win took Newcastle back above Brighton, who have a game in hand, and leaves Rafael Benitez’s side six points clear of the play-off places.

The Magpies merited their victory thanks to a dominant first-half display, although they were forced to survive some nervous moments in the closing stages, with Tom Ince passing up a glorious close-range chance and DeAndre Yedlin heading Darren Bent’s goalbound header off the line in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Benitez made three changes from the side that drew with QPR on Wednesday, with the most eye-catching seeing Jamaal Lascelles and Daryl Murphy drop out of the starting line-up.

Lascelles was on the bench nursing what was described as a “minor groin injury”, so Grant Hanley returned to partner Ciaran Clark at the heart of the back four. Murphy made way for Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was given another chance despite his below-par showing in the FA Cup defeat at Oxford.

The third alteration saw Mo Diame come in for Ayoze Perez, and from the off, the Senegal international was able to produce the kind of link-up play that Newcastle had been missing three days earlier.

The Magpies missed Diame’s physical presence during his recent stint at the Africa Cup of Nations, and the midfielder was at the heart of most of his side’s best moments as they dominated the opening stages.

Only six minutes had gone when Diame drilled a long-range effort over the crossbar, and having turned neatly on the halfway line, the former Hull play-maker went close again seven minutes later as he powered forward before driving a low strike straight at Scott Carson.

In between times, Diame helped set up Isaac Hayden for a weak shot that failed to test Carson, and whereas Newcastle had been lacklustre for long spells of Wednesday’s game, their first-half efforts here were much more purposeful.

That said, however, there was still an almighty scare midway through the first half when Ritchie’s square ball looked to have played in Darren Bent.

Ciaran Clark ‘s superb last-ditch tackle spared Ritchie’s blushes on that occasion, and the Scotland international made amends himself when he fired Newcastle into the lead shortly before the half-hour mark.

A slick passing move involving Diame and Aleksandar Mitrovic ended with the Serbian striker laying the ball into Ritchie’s path, and the winger’s 20-yard shot beat Carson with the aid of a hefty deflection off Bradley Johnson.

The deflection meant Carson was powerless to prevent the ball beating him, and the former England international showed his qualities remain intact with a superb save to deny Diame moments later.

Diame fired in a fierce first-time effort after Hayden crossed from the right, but Carson got down well to keep the ball out.

Ritchie drilled over on the stroke of half-time after a neat one-two with Mitrovic, before Newcastle’s Serbian striker should have doubled his side’s lead three minutes into the second half.

Ritchie nodded Paul Dummett’s cross back into the middle of the box, but after turning neatly, Mitrovic dragged a ten-yard shot wastefully wide.

Newcastle were forced into their first change moments later, with Perez replacing an injured Isaac Hayden, and having dominated the opening hour, the hosts found themselves forced onto the back foot in the final 30 minutes of the game.

Derby enjoyed much more possession throughout the second half, although with Hanley providing a steadying influence alongside Clark, the visitors still struggled to find a way through to trouble Darlow.

That said, however, they should have been level with ten minutes left. Ince found himself completely unmarked as he met Abdoul Camara’s right-wing cross on the edge of the six-yard box, but he somehow side-footed wide with the goal at his mercy. From the home side’s point of view, it was quite a let off.

Derby came close again deep into stoppage-time, but while Bent did well to meet Ince’s corner at the back post, a back-pedalling Yedlin nodded the ball to safety.

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Yedlin, Hanley, Clark, Dummett; Shelvey, Hayden (Perez 49); Ritchie, Diame, Gouffran (Lascelles 90); Mitrovic (Ameobi 84). Subs (not used): Elliot (gk), Lazaar, Gamez, Murphy.

Derby (4-3-3):  Carson; Baird, Keogh, Pearce, Olsson; Butterfield, Johnson (Anya 76), Bryson (de Sart 46); Ince, Bent, Russell (Camara 64). Subs (not used): Mitchell (gk), Christie, Shackell, Vydra.