As it was the loss sees us a worrying ten points off top and kills off any realistic hopes of winning the league, not that we have looked like doing so this season.
Derby showed perfectly how organisation and patience, as well as some shrewd substitutions by the manager can yield results against an opposition side on a real charge.
Boring, boring, Derby
You do have to wonder though how long Derby's luck can hold out with these endless 1-0s. A solitary strike on target proved enough, but they must be hoping their new signings can add to the goal tally to make their victories more convincing. After all as Saints know so well, it only takes one lapse in concentration to concede a goal.
Skacel's miss, a struck post and crossbar, it could have been different, but as the game wore on you always felt Derby's confidence and winning streak would sneak them a goal and so it proved.
The story of our season
In truth though, Saints have had far too many of these games this season as well as last. The cruel away loss to Norwich, the keeper's equaliser against Weds, Derby's late strike in the corresponding fixture. Hardly coincidence.
The fact is that although Saints play some of the best football in the league to watch, (as we keep hearing from those we keep dropping points to!) we are still naive and short of ideas when an opposition team parks the proverbial bus in front of their goal.
It's rare that Saints win ugly and that's part of the reason why Derby stand a better chance of going up than us.
With so much of the season gone, Saints remain wasteful and with no real transfer window action it's hard to see that changing. The summer signings are bedded in, Burley knows his best team and is just Djamel Belmadi short of it.
Saga made a promising debut and adds genuine competition up front. Just how good he is time will tell, but he gave our play a different dimension with his movement and might have scored with his very first touch for Saints.
Window of opportunity missed
How Saints could have done with a quality Premiership midfielder on loan to shake things up for us, as Burley made some strange substitutions from a youthful bench. Against Derby's muscular defence youngsters Wright-Phillips, Dyer and McGoldrick lacked the power and nous to find the goal that just wouldn't come.
Saints now face a massive test against in-form West Brom, who are on a charge and must be hoping for a top two finish. Saints will have to hope we can match the blistering start we made against Derby, coupled with a slice of luck and 90 minutes of concentration.
Lose again to one of our closest rivals and Saints really are just playing for play-off positions.