Home fans were beginning to think their team's official name was Portsmouth Nil. But then along came Mwaruwari Benjani to end Pompey's incredible home goal-drought with another cracking hat-trick.
After six goalless home Premier League games in a row, the popular Zimbabwean, Portsmouth's only African not on Nations Cup duty, ended a barren spell that had lasted 578 minutes, with a crashing shot on the turn, quickly followed by a thumping header near the end of the first half.
And eight minutes after the break he completed another remarkable treble to go with the one against Reading in September - when Pompey last scored at home in the league - with as a sweet a finish as you are likely to see.
The hard-working striker, given extra support up front now by £6million signing David Nugent now that Kanu, Sulley Muntari, John Utaka and Papa Bouba Diop are away on international duty for another month, now has a dozen goals for the season.
It was a matter of time before he got among the goals again. It also looks like a matter of time for sad Derby, surely doomed to immediate relegation after 18 games on the spin without a win.
And yet they gave Pompey a mighty scare when Lewin Nyatanga, their teenaged Wales international recalled from a loan to Barnsley by desperate new manager Paul Jewell, struck in only the fifth minute.
You could almost sense the sharp intake of breath by Pompey boss Harry Redknapp as he surely must have thought: 'Here we go again.'
He was already without skipper Sol Campbell, a back injury cited as the reason for the former England giant's poor display at Sunderland last week
And until the second half, new £5million buy Lassana Diarra suffered a a tricky debut, the Frenchman lucky to escape at least a booking for a studs-up late challenge on Darren Moore in the first minute, and missing a free header from Glen Johnson's cross before Benjani struck.
Pompey were in a state of shock when Derby went in front after less than five minutes - following a free kick by former Fratton Park winger Laurent Robert.
The Frenchman bent the ball in from the right and when Moore won it at the far post, Kenny Miller's header was turned against the bar by David James.
It looked as if it might have crossed the line but Nyatanga left nothing to chance by following up and driving home the rebound.
Pompey were stunned and almost fell further behind within a minute when Miller was allowed free passage into the penalty area before James came out to block the Scottish striker's advance.
In a blink of eye, though, the ball was up at the other end where Benjani appeared to hustle it through for Nugent who blazed a golden opportunity over the crossbar from 12 yards.
Pompey were almost the victims of frenetic endeavour but they looked finally to the skill of Niko Kranjcar for inspiration and he almost came up trumps on 18 minutes when a vicious long-range drive from out on the left whistled fractionally over the bar.
There were no more real clear-cut chances though until Benjani took the first on 39 minutes. Distin's long ball was back-headed by Nugent to find Pedro Mendes who laid it square for Benjani to hold off Moore as he turned to drill into the roof of the net.
Four minutes later, it was that man again from another Nugent assist, this time after Derby failed to clear a corner and the former Preston man, desperate to score himself, lofted the ball back in from the left right onto Benjani's head.
Derby, whose line-up has been massively restructured in the latest transfer window by Jewell had Tyrone Mears and the suspended Claude Davis missing in defence and looked like strangers to each other much of the time.
But in the sometimes dubious talents of Robbie Savage and the hard-running of Miller had one or two commendable assets.
They were split wide open, though for Benjani's hat-trick goal on 53 minutes. He swept through the middle after a wonderful exchange of passes with Pedro Mendes and clipped a craftsman's shot past Lewis Price and just inside the far post.
What an ovation they gave him when he came off a few minutes from the end, but there were other Pompey heroes - notably Kranjcar who panicked Derby every time he took possession and nearly had a hat-trick himself, with two fierce blasts and a free kick just wide.
