Jaydon Banel kept Derby’s play-off hopes alive with the winner in a 1-0 victory that pushed Oxford closer to League One.
The home side dominated for large parts of a game both teams needed to win for contrasting reasons and came out on top thanks to Banel’s fine individual goal.
Oxford offered little in the first half but improved in the second only to miss two big chances with Myles Peart-Harris and Yunus Konak failing to hit the target.
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Jaydon Banel scores a brilliant individual goal to put Derby ahead against Oxford.
Derby also had opportunities to increase their lead but held on for a sixth consecutive victory at Pride Park that keeps them in the hunt for a top six finish.
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom was back in goal for Derby after missing 13 League games with a virus but the early action was in the Oxford half as the home side started strongly.
Banel had a shot charged down before Derry Murkin’s effort was deflected behind for a corner that saw Oxford break quickly but Stanley Mills was denied by good defending from Lewis Travis.
That was a rare Oxford attack and they fell behind in the 22nd minute through Banel who won the ball in his own half and surged forward, holding off two defenders, before firing low into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.
The rest of the half was one way traffic and Carlton Morris had a good chance to double the lead in the 44th minute but headed over from an unmarked position at the back post.
After such a tame showing, Oxford had to improve and they had a big chance in the 56th minute.
The ball broke to Peart-Harris who ran clear but Zetterstrom came out to make a good block and Will Lankshear could do nothing with the rebound.
That was a big moment and one Oxford could not afford to miss in their fight to stay in the Championship.
It was looking like one of those afternoons for the visitors who had another chance to level in the 69th minute when a mistake from Matt Clarke let Konak in but he sliced his shot well wide with substitute Jeon Jin-Woo in an unmarked position.
Derby could not find the second goal that would have settled the game and there was one more chance for Oxford in stoppage time.
Aidomo Emakhu got to the byline and whipped in a low cross but Mark Harris could not turn it home at the near post.
The managers
Derby’s John Eustace:
To follow…
Oxford’s Matt Bloomfield:
To follow…
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