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Both sides started quickly and it was an end to end affair from the off. Derby tested Pool with efforts from Kris Commons and Nacer Barazite both troubling the keeper from range.
Pool broke quickly looked to stretch the visitors in midfield. Keith Southern slotted through for Gary Taylor-Fletcher in on goal, although his attempt sliced narrowly wide.
Pool finally made the breakthrough after 35 minutes as frontman Ben Burgess flicked on a header for strike partner Alan Gow, the on-loan attacker sprang the offside trap to slot home comfortably for the opener.
The Seasiders wasted no time in doubling their lead and within minutes were bursting forward with the confidence and clear passing that has been lacking in recent frustrating weeks.
Excellent link-up play from Burgess and Gow once more opened the defence, this time it was winger Taylor-Fletcher bounding on to the lay-off to crash home a second before half-time.
Seconds into the second half the home side again forced Derby back once more it was the front two pushing the Rams and when Claude Davis left Burgess with all the space in the world, Derby can count themselves lucky not to have been three down with a mountain to climb.
Derby responded well and came at the Seasiders, quickly forcing a string of opportunities in the box.
Paul Rachubka hesitated on cross after cross and lifted spirits among the visitors.
Commons was influential going forward at every opportunity and just before the hour mark the midfielder left nothing to chance as he curled a well-placed free-kick comfortably beyond the troubled goalkeeper.
Having been punished, Simon Grayson's men ditched the deep defending and went on to bag a third just after the hour mark.
An attacking Derby outfit lost possession and Gow's vision picked out Southern steaming down the line. Beating the last defender he pulled back past a helpless Stephen Bywater to give Burgess an all too easy finish to restore the two-goal margin.
A defensive blunder gave the visitors hope once more as Danny Coid and Rachubka failed to clear in no-mans land. Substitute Mile Sterjovski made no mistake in steering the loose ball between the posts.
Keen to restore a comfort zone Pool used the counter-attack to full advantage and had more than one opportunity to seal the result in the dying minutes.
The best of these came as Joe Martin skipped through on-rushing defenders to force a one-on-one with the keeper, before his low effort was dragged wide and Pool were forced to hold out nervously for what was a very good result.