Derby County secured a morale-boosting win at Pride Park last night, giving Frank Lampard his second victory as Rams boss.

They got the better of Paul Hurst's Ipswich with a 2-0 win courtesy of Welsh international midfielders Tom Lawrence and Joe Ledley.

31-year old Ledley rolled back the years with an energetic display, despite not finishing the game. It was his third appearance of the season, but also the third time he's been withdrawn early.

FLW shines a spotlight on the midfielder and assesses his display in the important victory.

Ledley played just over an hour of last nights' fixture, following on from his 45 minutes against Leeds and 69 minutes against Reading. He's clearly being nursed through the matches, but is an important player when he's on the pitch.

He scored last night, bagging the second goal which made the score line respectable and gave his side the all-important cushion. His game has never been about the goal, despite him weighing in with a few in his time. It is his all-round contribution, in the tackle and on the ball, which has made him vital for club and country.

Last night he made 43 passes, 81% of which were successful. That's the sort of ratio one can expect from a top quality Championship midfielder and 43 knocks in 63 minutes is not to be under estimated either.

There is a question over his current fitness, the reduced minutes being one indicator, but the solitary tackle he made in his outing last night being the other. Joe Ledley is usually in the thick of the action, but last night there was a certain reticence to commit too often. He did make four clearances though, not forgetting to attend to his defensive duties one bit.

He's vital at both ends of the field and despite passing the 30 barrier, he's every bit as important for his club than ever. If derby are to turn their early season inconsistency into a top six assault, they'll need Ledley on form and at his best.

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