BRAD Friedel was the hero as Blackburn Rovers came from behind to end 2007 with a worthy win.

The big American saved Steve Howard's spot-kick, after Matt Oakley had fired the home side ahead.

And two goals in the four first-half minutes that followed, from Roque Santa Cruz and David Bentley, secured Rovers' first victory in six games.

Before the match, manager Mark Hughes made four changes to the side that drew 2-2 away to Manchester City on Thursday night.

Stephen Warnock returned from a one-match ban in place of Bruno Berner at left-back, Tugay and Aaron Mokoena formed a new-look central midfield partnership at the expense of David Dunn and Steven Reid, whilst Benni McCarthy was handed his first start in four games alongside Santa Cruz in attack.

Eager to end the year on a high, Rovers opened the game in a positive manner.

On six minutes, Bentley's corner from the right was glanced goalwards by the head of Santa Cruz at the near post, keeper Lewis Price got his fingertips to the ball, Tyrone Mears then half-cleared off the line, before McCarthy's shot was blocked on the follow-up.

Derby's first effort at goal arrived on 10 minutes, when Eddie Lewis' ball in was flicked on by Kenny Miller and Howard sent an acrobatic over-head kick high over the bar. Bentley was enjoying plenty of the ball, as Rovers started to take control. On 18 minutes, Santa Cruz did well to win the ball inside the box and McCarthy's shot on the turn was comfortable for Price.

Two minutes later, Rovers thought they had opened the scoring when Bentley did brilliantly on the left-touchline to dig out a cross with his less-favoured left-foot and Santa Cruz headed home, only for the linesman to signal that the ball had gone out of play.

On 27 minutes, however, the home side did take the lead - completely against the run of play. Mears broke down the right before centring for Giles Barnes, who laid the ball off to Oakley and the Derby skipper fired the ball through the legs of Friedel and up into the roof of the net.

The goal gave the home side confidence and just five minutes later, Miller picked up a loose ball on the edge of the Rovers box and flicked it past Ryan Nelsen, who was then booked for blocking the run of the Scotsman.

On 34 minutes, a long Morten Gamst Pedersen throw was laid off by McCarthy to Bentley inside the box and the England international's snap shot was deflected inches wide of the post.

The turning point of the game then arrived on 37 minutes. Howard headed on to Miller on the left, the former Celtic striker's run into the box was again adjudged to have been checked by Nelsen and referee Peter Walton pointed to the spot. Howard stepped up, but Friedel got down well to make a smart save low to his right, with Lewis booked for leaving his boot in on the follow-up.

And less than 90 seconds later, Rovers scored the equaliser. Bentley supplied the cross from the right, McCarthy did brilliantly to bring the ball down and get his shot away, Price made a stunning save low to his left, but Santa Cruz was on hand to side-foot home his eighth goal in his last five games. Rovers were back in the ascendancy and duly took the lead on 42 minutes. After a scrappy period of play, McCarthy's pass to Mokoena dropped kindly for Bentley, who lashed the ball into the bottom corner of the net from outside the box. The home side almost drew level a minute before the break, when Oakley fired a low drive through a crowd of players inside the box, but an unsighted Friedel got a strong right hand down to the ball just in time to turn it round the post.

Paul Jewell made a tactical switch at the break, with Benny Feilhaber coming on for Dean Leacock, and the change almost paid immediate reward, as, on 49 minutes, the Brazilian-born substitute was allowed to run at the Rovers' defence, but his swerving shot was parried to safety by Friedel.

On 50 minutes, Pedersen ought to have picked out either McCarthy or Bentley inside the box, instead of seeing his shot blocked, and straight up the other end, Brett Emerton just got back in time to deny Miller a golden goalscoring opportunity.

Four minutes later, Rovers again had the chance to extend their lead, when good work from Bentley saw the midfield man play in McCarthy on the right, but the South African striker's low drive was kept out by the outstretched leg of Price.

On the hour-mark, Bentley was fouled just outside the Derby box, but Pedersen's free-kick curled inches wide of the up-right.

As Derby pushed men forward in search of an equaliser, Rovers looked to hit on the break and they almost did with 15 minutes remaining, when Bentley's cross from the right found the head of Santa Cruz, but his effort was superbly tipped over the bar by Price. From the resulting corner, the Paraguayan striker saw a shot cleared off the line and Bentley fired a left-foot shot onto the foot of the post on the follow-up.

As the clock ticked down, Rovers looked to see the game out, with Swedish left-back Martin Olsson coming on for his Premier League debut in place of Pedersen to help sure up the defence.

Claude Davis had a header late on for the hosts, but Rovers saw out the three added minutes to hold on for the points.

DERBY COUNTY: Price, McEveley, Leacock (Feilhaber 46), Davis, Johnson (Fagan 59), Barnes, Oakley, Mears, Lewis, Howard, Miller (Macken 79).

Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Teale.

ROVERS: Friedel, Emerton, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Mokoena, Tugay (Dunn 90), Pedersen (Olsson 84), McCarthy (Derbyshire 88), Santa Cruz.

Subs not used: Brown, Berner.

Booked: Lewis (Derby), Mokoena (Rovers), Warnock (Rovers).

Attendance: 30,048