Gavin Williams scored a wonder goal and later admitted it meant nothing to him.

More accustomed to creating chances for others, Williams took centre stage himself when stunning Derby with a quite outstanding strike seven minutes from time at Pride Park.

The Welshman's third goal of the season, a searing 25 yard volley which beat Rams keeper Stephen Bywater all ends up, looked to have earned the visitors a crucial point.

But Williams' joy was short-lived, Rob Hulse taking full advantage of a defensive lapse to restore Derby's lead two minutes later and consign City to a defeat which leaves them with ground to make up in their quest to make the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs.

Given that the Robins had dominated the game and deserved better, it was a bitter pill to swallow for the Welsh international and his team-mates.

He conceded: "It's nice to get a goal but it counts for nothing if you lose. I'd rather not score at all and see the team pick up three points."

Deservedly beaten at Birmingham three days earlier, City really should have made amends upon their return to the Midlands. But all their good work was undone by the mistakes which gifted goals to Chris Porter, after just 52 seconds, and former Sheffield United forward Hulse.

And Williams admitted this latest setback was hard to take. He said: "There's nothing to replace the feeling of three points and, no matter how good the performance, it's difficult to take any positives from the game.

"At this stage of the season, it's all about taking three points and the lads are feeling down. It's heartbreaking when you should be winning a game and then end up losing it.

"We didn't deserve anything at Birmingham but this was different. If Derby were honest, they'd say that we were the better team."

Harsh as it may seem, City only had themselves to blame, undone as they were by shortcomings at either end of the pitch.

Forced into a change of personnel by the injuries which ruled out Cole Skuse and Dele Adebola, manager Gary Johnson chose to alter his team's formation, adopting an unfamiliar 3-5-2 shape which contributed in no small part to the opening goal.

Deployed as wing-backs with instructions to press forward, Bradley Orr and Jamie McAllister were still adjusting to the new system when Mile Sterjovski won a challenge in midfield and was allowed to surge into the 18 yard box and pick out Porter at the far post.

Left completely unmarked, the striker had only to side-foot the ball past helpless keeper Adriano Basso. It was a sucker punch of the worst kind and meant the visitors had to chase the game thereafter.

They set about their task with gusto, controlling the midfield environs and repeatedly carving open a Derby defence which appeared vulnerable to say the least. But City failed miserably where it mattered most – in front of goal.

Nicky Maynard was the chief culprit, squandering a hat-trick of opportunities, the most glaring of which saw him shoot straight at Bywater after being put clean through.

Giant centre-back Jamie McCombe saw his looping header come back off the post, Martin Albrechtsen cleared Stern John's effort off the line and referee Keith Stroud turned down vehement appeals for a penalty when Lewin Nyatanga used an arm to keep out midfielder Lee Johnson's thunderous drive.

Williams added: "We had a disastrous start but, from that moment on, we dominated. Not only should we have had a draw, we should have won the game. There was only one team in it and no-one can say we didn't put in a good performance.

"We created some really good chances in the first half, hit the post and had another scrambled off the line. The message at half time was 'just keep it going.'

"When we got the equaliser there was only one thought in our minds, and that was to go for the winner. But we switched off for a split second and it cost us dearly."

Beaten by a late goal at St Andrews three days earlier, City were again punished for a lapse in concentration when Gary Teale was given time and space to deliver a telling cross from the left flank. Displaying the predatory instincts of a striker who has plied his trade in the Premier League, Hulse stole half a yard on Liam Fontaine to score from close range.

Although the Robins bossed the game between Derby's two goals, their manager will be concerned by how few clear-cut goal-scoring chances they created in the second half.

By now wise to City's tactics, Rams boss Nigel Clough sent on Andy Todd for Porter at the interval in a bid to shore up their midfield and ordered his team to defend their lead in depth and hit the visitors on the counter-attack.

The fact they were able to achieve this with so few alarms was due to City's inability to break down a packed defence. Just as they did against Blackpool a week earlier, the Robins huffed and puffed without really threatening in the final third.

City clearly required a moment of magic and Williams obliged in spectacular fashion, only for their defensive frailties to resurface with dire consequences.

Clearly, Johnson's charges must discover a ruthless streak if a season which still promises much is not to fizzle out

Derby (4-4-2): Bywater, Connolly, Albrechtsen, Nyatanga, McEveley (Kazmierczak 80), Barazite, Sterjovski (Villa 87), Savage, Teale, Hulse, Porter (Todd 46). Subs not used: Carroll, Ellington.

City (3-5-2): Basso, Orr, Carey, McCombe (Sproule 62), Fontaine, McAllister, Williams, Johnson, McIndoe, Maynard (Styvar 74), John. Subs not used: Weale, J Wilson, Akinde.