Stan Mills scored his first goal of the season as Oxford earned just their second Championship win of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Derby at the Kassam Stadium.

But only a string of top saves from Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom prevented the Rams from falling to a much heavier defeat.

Mills struck in the 24th minute when he ran onto Brian De Keersmaecker's fine pass and finished with a clinical shot low past Zetterstrom's left hand.

Both league meetings between these clubs last season ended even, and Derby had drawn 1-1 in their three previous games before this one, so everything pointed towards another tight encounter.

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Oxford welcomed back Northern Ireland international defender Ciaron Brown after an injury lay-off lasting more than six months.

After a cagey opening in which the teams largely cancelled each out and struggled to create openings, United suddenly carved out three good opportunities in succession in the 16th minute.

Cameron Brannagan picked out Mills with a crossfield pass, and Mills should probably have done better than see his early shot saved.

Zetterstrom followed up that block with two more excellent saves from powerful shots by De Keersmaecker as the home side piled on the pressure.

Brannagan also went close with a 30-yard drive that arrowed just over the angle of post and bar, so it was no more than the U's deserved when Mills fired them in front.

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Derby responded with a strong attack down the right and it needed a goal-saving interception from Michal Helik when Max Johnston's low cross looked to have picked out a teammate.

From the corner, Andreas Weimann hit a fierce drive from outside the box that deflected over the bar.

But it was Oxford who finished the first half the stronger, and in stoppage time, following a long throw by Will Vaulks, Zetterstrom once again came to his side's rescue, superbly saving Helik's close-range volley.

The second half continued in the same vein, as the Derby keeper blocked an effort from Nik Prelec after he cut inside a defender, and then saved Brannagan's low shot at his near post when the midfielder met Mills' cutback sweetly.

But the home side were also becoming wasteful in front of goal, with Vaulks scooping the ball over the bar when teed up nicely.

Brodie Spence directed a glancing header wide and the Rams clearly sensed that United's wastefulness was giving them a chance. They built attacks with increasing belief, and Carlton Morris almost finished one off with an angled drive narrowly past Jamie Cumming's far post.

In added time Morris volleyed over at a corner but Oxford had fully deserved all three points.

The managers

Oxford's Gary Rowett:

"Stan was excellent. We felt we could cause them a problem down that side. But it was a brilliantly weighted pass from Brian for the goal - he fires it into Stan's path.

"We were outstanding in the first half and created countless chances. We should have been well away on the scoreline but when you don't take those opportunities after such a dominant spell on the ball, you always leave the door open.

"Derby didn't create lots of chances but they made it difficult for us to get out. Late on, we might have nicked a goal in a counter-attack or in transition, and I would have liked us to have had that bit more control.

"Maybe that's me being greedy but what I'm pleased about is that we've finally won a game that we actually deserved to win.

"We've deserved to win loads of times and ended up losing those games. It was an excellent performance. We moved the ball really well, we moved the ball through them and around them and created lots of good opportunities - 19 shots and they've had six shots with one on target. That tells you the story of the game.

"It was an important win for us. Those three points give you that real springboard to go from here."

Derby's John Eustace:

"We didn't deserve to get anything out of today. We got in some really good areas but lacked that bit of quality. We started OK but then we lost our way. We huffed and puffed - we were second best. It was not about tactics today, just about losing too many duels and not being aggressive enough.

We have to take into consideration that we had to change a couple coming back from long journeys. They tried their hardest but we just lacked that bit of leadership and know-how in there, and it was just too easy for them to break through us.

"Defensively we didn't lock in, we weren't aggressive enough on the turnovers. We're working very hard on the training pitch, we've got to get players who are available to train and be available for selection every game, and I'm confident the wins will come.

"Performances overall have been good, today wasn't a good day at the office, so there's a lot of hard work ahead, and that starts on Monday.

"I'm just disappointed with the way we lost the game. I know we're not the finished article going forward, but I wasn't expecting us to lose so many duels today."

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