With a stirring occasion and a goal from a man dressed as Zorro, Nottingham Forest gave Martin O'Neill a taste of the old days and gave themselves a launchpad for an assault on the play-offs.
Yohan Benalouane took just 74 seconds to score the only goal of the East Midlands derby to give Forest their first victory in the game that matters most since 2015.
And for Martin O'Neill, victory in his first derby in charge captured the spirit of his playing days at the City Ground and left his side just three points off the play-offs and dreaming of a late surge up the table.
'I reminisced for at least 15 seconds tonight,' joked O'Neill after a high-tempo encounter that left little opportunity for measured reflection. 'The crowd were really terrific.
'I'm delighted to win. We got off to a fantastic start with a goal in a minute or two which gives you some momentum.
'I'm just delighted to win the game. In terms of the atmosphere and the crowd, which I thought was a two-way thing, I'm delighted.
'Naturally it gives the players a lot of confidence to win the game. Every victory is terrific and every setback at this stage of the season is a setback.
'It gives us a few extra points now and keeps momentum going. It is all to play for and let's give it everything we've got.'
Benalouane scored the decisive goal in just the second minute, sliding in to convert from close range after Daryl Murphy had headed back across goal following Jayden Bogle's failure to clear a Joe Lolley free-kick.
Derby failed to fire for much of the game but their biggest chance to equalise came before half-time and was spurned by Martyn Waghorn. The forward collected a pass by Duane Holmes but chipped his effort wide.
Murphy missed a chance of his own to ease Forest's nerves but there was little doubting the merits of O'Neill and Co's victory.
Twice the derby-day tensions spilled over into fracas with Holmes and Ryan Yates booked following a brief first-half flare-up before Yates and Richard Keogh exchanged insults and had to be kept apart at the final whistle.
Of more concern for Derby manager Frank Lampard, however, is a run of one win in six that has left his side playing catch-up in the play-off race. They are just one point ahead of Forest.
'The deciding factor of the game was in the first 70 seconds,' said Lampard. 'We played into Forest's hands. 'If you gift them a goal in a game of this magnitude it gives them the edge.
'In three games the quality has gone down and it needs to come back quickly to get back to winning ways.
'We're disappointed to lose the game but we remain ahead of Forest with a game in hand and within touching distance of the top six.
'Now is the biggest test of all. The first half of the season was good because we were fighting for the top six all the way and now is a challenge for all of us, myself included, to say 'can we push on for 13 games and get back in there'?'
