A stunning volley from James Collins gave Derby a 2-1 victory over struggling Cheltenham.

Cheltenham were the better side for much of the game, but a Max Bird free-kick and Collins’s 18th goal of the season earned County the points.

The visitors had a great chance in the third minute, but Liam Sercombe fired straight at Josh Vickers after George Lloyd set him up.

Derby were poor in the first half as Cheltenham hustled them into mistakes and would have been behind if the visitors had been more clinical in the final third.

Cheltenham got the goal they merited five minutes into the second half when Sercombe’s shot from 12 yards was deflected past Vickers.

But Derby equalised in the 60th minute after Louie Sibley was fouled just outside the area and Bird curled the free-kick into the top left corner of Luke Southwood’s net.

The game was in the balance until Nathaniel Mendez-Laing got down the right and crossed for Collins to acrobatically volley past Southwood from 12 yards.