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Derby County moved to 17 games unbeaten in all competitions with a hard-fought 3-2 victory away at Cheltenham Town.

Conor Hourihane, Max Bird and Tom Barkhuizen all found the net after Caleb Taylor had given the hosts an early lead.

Alfie May scored to make for a nervy finish but the Rams held on to take all three points on the road.


Major Moments

It was a nightmare start for Paul Warne's side who fell behind after just 90 seconds.

Liam Sercombe was afforded too much time to deliver a cross and Caleb Taylor got inbetween his men to head brilliantly past Joe Wildsmith.


After five successive clean-sheets, the Rams would have to do what they hadn't for some time and that is come from behind to win a game of football.

And it didn't take them long to get back on level terms with Hourihane levelling things up before 10 minutes had been played.


Eiran Cashin played a delightful cross-field ball to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing who beat his man and stood an inch-perfect cross up for Hourihane who headed home.

Two minutes later and the turnaround was complete with Bird putting his name firmly in contention for the goal of the season award.

The midfielder picked up the ball 35-yards out, took a touch and rifled an unstoppable strike into the top left corner to put the Rams in front and put his name on the list for a mug from the gaffer.


Mendez-Laing had an opportunity to make it three before the break following a slip from Tom Bradbury. A loose touch from the Robins defender allowed the Rams winger to burst through on goal but Bradbury did well to get back and put a vital block in and send Mendez-Laing's effort round for a corner.

Derby had a big shout for a penalty right on the stroke of half-time when substitute Taylor Perry looked to have clipped the ankle of Louie Sibley as he burst into the box but the referee was unmoved.


It was more of the same after the restart with the Rams continuing to push for that all important third goal and it should have come on 51 through James Collins.

The Rams' number nine pinched the ball off a Robins defender and burst through on goal but he bent his shot wide of the left post from the edge of the box.


It didn't take long for that third to come though and it was the man in form, Barkhuizen, who found it.

The lethal press was again key as the winger nicked in front of his man to steal a loose pass before working his way into the box and firing a lovely effort low and hard past Luke Southwood in the Cheltenham goal.


Substitute Lewis Dobbin thought he'd made it four when he finished off a pinpoint cross from Collins but the offside flag was up to deny the forward on loan from Everton.

The home side made things incredibly nervy when they added a second with just under 15 minutes remaining.


Taylor, who scored the first for the Robins, rose highest to head down a free-kick that May was able to get on the end of and he prodded home from a couple of yards out to make it 3-2.

The hosts threw everything at it in the final quarter of the hour but the Rams stood tall and held on for an all important three points on the road.

Attendance: 5,666


The Teams

Cheltenham Town: Southwood (GK), Long (C), Bradbury (63' Olayinka), Sercombe (44' Perry), Goodwin, May, Taylor, Ferry (63' Williams), Jackson, Bonds, Broom

Substitutes not used: MacDonald (GK), Brown, Barkers, Norton

Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Forsyth, Hourihane (68' McGoldrick), Cashin (63' Davies), Barkhuizen (68' Dobbin), Bird (C), Collins (86' Rooney), Mendez-Laing, Smith, Sibley, Knight

Substitutes not used: Loach (GK), Roberts, Thompson


What's Next Up?

The Rams return to Pride Park next Saturday when they take on Bolton Wanderers in Sky Bet League One action (3pm kick-off).

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