Steve Howard scored twice as Derby took a giant stride towards Wembley with victory in their Coca-Cola Championship play-off semi-final first leg against Southampton.

Andrew Surman lit up St Mary's with a stunning goal to give Saints an early lead, but Howard pegged the hosts back before half-time with a firm header and fired Derby ahead from the penalty spot.

The Rams will now take a precious lead back to Pride Park on Tuesday night as they attempt to move to within 90 minutes of a lucrative return to the Premiership.

Saints will look back on a number of missed chances, however, with Marek Saganowski twice rattling the woodwork.

The division's top scorers away from home will still feel they are in the tie, but they have just three days to work on some distinctly rusty finishing or a third season outside the top flight beckons.

Derby finished four places and nine points ahead of Saints but it was the hosts, managed by ex-Rams boss George Burley, who made all the early running.

Surman struck in the seventh minute, cutting in on his favoured left foot, exchanging passes with Saganowski on the edge of the area and hitting a sublime curling shot past Stephen Bywater's despairing dive.

Fit-again striker Saganowski then jinked past Darren Moore, back in the Derby side following a four-game ban, but Tyrone Mears mopped up with a vital interception.

Saints felt they should have had a penalty after Kenwyne Jones controlled Surman's pass on his chest and shaped to shoot only to be impeded by Mears, but referee Michael Jones pointed for a corner.

Howard finally gave Saints goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski something to do with a low drive from the edge of the area which the Pole comfortably gathered.

Chris Baird came agonisingly close to doubling Saints' lead in the 27th minute when his glancing header from Gareth Bale's cross flew inches wide.

And Derby grabbed the equaliser when former Saints stalwart Matt Oakley floated a cross towards Howard, whose firm header back across goal gave Bialkowski no chance.

Moments later Saganowski crashed his shot from just inside the area against the bar with Bywater beaten, before Oakley flashed a shot narrowly wide.

Jones, this week dubbed the new Didier Drogba by Burley, passed up a glorious chance after the break, shooting straight at Bywater after being put through by Saganowski.

It was the giant striker's last contribution, with Burley bringing on Leon Best and replacing Bale, who picked up a knock, with Rudi Skacel.

But Saints immediately fell behind when Stephen Pearson made his way into the penalty area and drew a clumsy foul from Pele in the 57th minute.

Howard tucked the penalty past the outstretched palm of Bialkowski for his 19th goal of the season.

Jonathan Macken then struck a post with a volley on the turn as the Rams went for the throat.

But they received a let-off in the 68th minute when Saganowski thumped Djamel Belmadi's cut-back against the crossbar, and acrobatically sent the rebound wide.

Jhon Viafara headed Skacel's corner wide before Burley turned to another former Ram in 20-goal top-scorer Grzegorz Rasiak, on for the tiring Saganowski.

But Derby saw out a nervy three minutes of stoppage-time to head into Tuesday's return leg in pole position for a trip to the new Wembley.