Post-Match Verdict: 'We Know We Need To Pick Up Our Performances' - Bird

Derby County midfielder Max Bird says the team know they need to 'pick up' their performances following the 2-1 home victory over Cheltenham Town in Sky Bet League One on Saturday.

Bird scored on the hour mark to level the game after the Rams had gone behind just after half-time, before leading scorer James Collins bagged the winner with 10 minutes to go.

Speaking to RamsTV after the game, Bird gave his verdict on the performance.

On the result...

I've got mixed emotions. In the first half we were poor and, if I'm being honest, the whole game was poor. If we're going to get to where we need to get to at the end of the season, we're going to need better performances than that. On the other hand, it shows we can scrap out games and still get three points.

On his free-kick to make it 1-1...

Nat wanted it the other way around and he wanted me to stop it but I said: 'I fancy this'. The gaffer has been taking me away for some one-on-one shooting with him and striking the ball better, because I need to be scoring more goals. On other days Nat will have it, but I just fancied it where the ball was. Luckily, it went in and got us back in the game.

On James Collins' winner...

I've just said to him in the dressing room what a brilliant finish it was. Moments of quality have won us the game today. We weren't at our best, far from it, and we need to evaluate it and see what we can do better, but we've come away with three points at home. It was a poor match but three points is three points and at this stage in the season, we need as many as we can get.

On the picking up the performances...

We need to pick up our performances, see what we can do better and try and go on another good run. It's important that we do that. The gaffer always talks about how winning games is good, but runs win you championships. That's ultimately what we're going for, we're all hungry for it and we need to stick together and achieve that target.