Record-breaking Giggs condemns Rams

His latest was a real poacher's effort as he tapped home from close range after Stephen Bywater had parried Cristiano Ronaldo's shot into his path.

Carlos Tevez netted a double to ease United home and could have had a hat-trick if Ronaldo had not ignored his pleas and taken the spot-kick himself after being flattened by Tyrone Mears.

Derby remain marooned at the bottom but at least had the satisfaction of scoring their first away goal of the campaign 14 minutes from time through Steve Howard

United lost Owen Hargreaves in the warm-up and his replacement, Michael Carrick, struggled to impose himself, allowing Derby to retain possession.

Then, picking up a loose ball on the left of the Derby area, Ronaldo darted into the box and drove a powerful shot at goal which, on a sodden surface, keeper Bywater was unable to hold and Giggs converted.

Wayne Rooney should have doubled United's lead when he collected Giggs' lofted pass and sent Bywater to the ground, but he chipped his shot over the prone keeper onto a post.

Apart from his triggering his own annoyance, Rooney's miss did not prove costly at all given Tevez was soon blasting home, after Ronaldo's delicate free-kick had caused mayhem in the Derby area.

It was Brown who supplied the pass for Tevez that led to number three on the hour, the South American mercilessly punishing Dean Leacock's failure to close him down by driving a shot into the bottom corner.

Howard then pulled a goal back, before Ronaldo converted a last-minute penalty.