Fleetwood Town 1-3 Derby County: Rams go equal on points with third-placed Peterborough
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Eleven of James Collins' 16 goals in all competitions have come in League One this season
Derby County overcame Fleetwood Town in Charlie Adam's first home game in charge of the Cod Army to move equal on points with third-placed Peterborough.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing opened the scoring with a calmly-placed finish into the bottom corner before James Collins added a second with a flicked header in first-half injury time.
Jayden Stockley pulled a goal back with Fleetwood's first effort on target after 76 minutes, with his brilliantly directed header drifting inside the far post.
A 90th-minute tap-in finish from substitute Tom Barkhuizen completed Derby's win against League One's bottom side, but it was not enough to lift Paul Warne's side above the Posh on goal difference.
However, it has left them two points off the automatic promotion places and four behind leaders Portsmouth before their fixture at Cheltenham.
A second straight defeat for Fleetwood under former Liverpool, Stoke and Scotland midfielder Adam leaves them five points adrift of safety after 25 games.
Stockley had a big early chance to work Rams goalkeeper Josh Vickers in what was his first league start for Derby, but the forward dragged his shot wide after a cut-back pass from Josh Vela found him free in the box.
Derby were limited by Adam's Cod Army at the other end and were frustrated further when penalty appeals were waved away when Josh Earl appeared to handle a cross into the area.
The Rams' annoyance, however, was short lived.
Fleetwood's inability to deal with a speculative high ball and a clever flicked pass from Max Bird sent Mendez-Laing clear to beat home keeper Jay Lynch one-on-one with a cool low finish.
The winger then had a chance to add a second almost immediately, but slashed his attempt just wide.
Derby's leading scorer Collins ensured the advantage was deservedly doubled before the break, meeting an inswinging corner from Conor Hourihane with a glanced header at the near post for his 16th goal in all competitions this season.
Both Derby and Fleetwood had second-half penalty appeals turned down before Stockley set up a tense finish with his well-placed header.
Fine individual work from Bird, skipping through the home defence, set Barkhuizen up for Derby's third to guarantee a fifth straight win away from home.