The Hatters' defeat left them eight points short of safety with only two games of the season - and six available points - remaining while Derby climbed from third to second thanks to Lewin Nyatanga scoring the only goal of the game.

But the Rams will nevertheless be overhauled by Birmingham should Blues win or draw at Wolves on Sunday.

The Hatters had gone into the game knowing any result other than victory would see them doomed and the visitors were liveliest early on though it was the Rams went close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute when Gary Teale nodded David Jones' left-wing free-kick wide.

Matt Oakley rattled the Luton crossbar from the left channel following a free-kick routine 25 yards out before Matt Spring was allowed time and space on the edge of the Derby penalty area only to curl his effort high and wide.

Then, in a see-saw first half, play swung again to the Luton penalty area where, in the 26th minute, Teale forced a save from Dean Brill following a one-two with Oakley.

Darren Currie - the winger on loan from Ipswich - stood the ball up from the byline and Hatters skipper Chris Coyne was required to clear former Luton striker Steve Howard's header off the line.

Dean Leacock headed a Jones corner over as Derby threatened again but the deadlock was broken in the 37th minute when another Jones flag-kick from the right was met again by Leacock and spectacularly saved on the line by Brill.

Nyatanga, who was recalled from a loan at Barnsley earlier in the week, was on hand to force home the rebound and net the first Derby goal of his season, the third of his career and his first at Pride Park.

The Rams started the second half seeking to turn the screw through Jones, though the £1million January buy from Manchester United dragged his 18-yard effort wide in the 50th minute.

And the Rams went close again when Leacock met Jones' free-kick from the right before Howard saw his follow-up ricochet onto the bar and then pounced on the rebound only to see his next effort somehow diverted away from goal.

Jones saw a dipping effort land on the top of the Town net in the 71st minute before substitute Arturo Lupoli, on for Currie, saw his shot saved by Brill's outstretched boot and Howard blazed over the rebound.

Giles Barnes limped out of the action in the 80th minute when he was replaced by Craig Fagan ahead of Luton's Besian Idrizaj, who had replaced Drew Talbot, testing Rams goalkeeper Stephen Bywater moments later.