Jaydon Banel's sensational solo goal helped keep Derby County in the Championship play-off race with a victory against an Oxford United side left clinging to dwindling survival hopes.

The Dutchman hit the visitors on the counter-attack, taking the ball from deep inside Derby's own half before finding the bottom corner with a cool finish as U's defenders desperately crowded around him.

A last-ditch tackle from Sam Szmodics helped deny Myles Peart-Harris an equaliser, while Yunus Konak wastefully thumped a chance high and wide for the visitors.

Fit-again Rams goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, making his first appearance for three months following a mystery illness, kept out a deflected effort at his near post as Oxford failed to rescue a draw and remain two points adrift of safety with three games left.

The distance to second-tier salvation could grow wider later in the day if West Bromwich Albion beat Preston.

Meanwhile, Derby's victory moved John Eustace's team to within two points of Hull City in the play-off spots above them, although that gap could be widened if the sixth-placed Tigers beat Birmingham City later in the day.

Oxford were left exposed for the 22nd-minute opener after a long throw into Derby's box was cleared out for Banel to latch onto.

The Burnley loanee raced away without hesitation and, despite having team-mates peel off into space around him as Oxford's defence scrambled back, the Ajax academy product went it alone to score his second goal in as many home matches.

It was a moment of individual brilliance and the only shot on target in a tense first half that produced few other chances.

It was not until after the break that Derby goalkeeper Zetterstrom was called into action, with the Sweden international helping keep Peart-Harris out.

Zetterstrom rushed off his line to ensure Oxford were foiled, but it was the determined backtracking run of Szmodics and the forward's perfectly timed tackle on Peart-Harris that crucially denied Oxford a leveller.

Szmodics goal-saving intervention also came just moments after he threatened at the other end.

With a little over 20 minutes remaining at Pride Park, a rare defensive error from Matt Clarke gifted Konak the ball but, despite having plenty of space and options to exploit, the Brentford loanee squandered the gift.

Szmodics almost snatched a second for Derby from a long throw, while Zetterstrom had to thrust a boot out to keep a heavily deflected pass from Aidomo Emakhu out before the substitute teed up Mark Harris for a last-minute chance that was sent wide by the U's forward.

Derby County head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

"It was a really difficult game today. We obviously knew that Oxford would sit in and make it very difficult for us, and I thought we controlled the tempo for a majority of the game, but obviously the last 10-15 minutes was a little nerve wracking as they took a lot of risks.

"But overall, we defended well even though we gave them a couple of chances from being sloppy on the ball.

"We scored an unbelievable goal through Jaydon and I'm delighted for him. I felt going himself was possibly not the thing to do, but he's put it in the net and you can't argue with that.

"We have grown together this season and every player wants to be successful and that is the standard we want to build at the football club – win, lose or draw, Derby County are a really tough, competitive team to play against. And every player is ready for the final three games now."

Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford:

"Arguably, we had the three best chances of the game – two breakaways and a great chance right at the end.

"I was really disappointed with how we played in the first half and it was nowhere near good enough.

"By the end of the game, with our intensity, the way we played and the chances we created, it was very frustrating because it is a clear illustration that that if you take your chances you get the points.

"We haven't got the time to rest on it [the loss], it's done now and we have to move on very quickly to Tuesday evening and make sure that the intensity and the energy we had in the second half is there from the first whistle."