Chelsea
Despite an improved second-half performance, Derby County's Under-23s were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea at St George's Park.
Blues forward Daishawn Redan stole the show with a hat-trick, and the Rams will have to lift themselves for the final three games of their Premier League 2 - Division 1 campaign.
The visitors controlled possession from the outset as Joe Edwards set up his side in the same 3-4-3 system that has been utilised by the first team over the past 18 months.
It took nine minutes for the domination of the ball to pay dividends, with Redan firing high beyond Jonathan Mitchell from Reece James’ cut back.
The Dutch striker provided a moment of outrageous quality seven minutes later, when he turned magnificently inside the area before finishing clinically to double his tally.
Derby worked hard without the ball with Joe Bateman providing a combative presence in midfield, whilst Lewis Walker held up play well on occasion.
Ross Barkley started for Chelsea as he continues his journey back to full match fitness, and he was inches away from making it three after half an hour when he fired into the side-netting after Juan Castillo’s cross.
Harvey St Clair struck the crossbar moments later, before James saw his low header palmed away brilliantly by Mitchell.
Darren Wassall introduced youth internationals Louie Sibley and Jason Knight at the break and his side started brightly, with Alex Babos going close from a long range free-kick.
The Rams looked far more threatening in the second half, as they switched into a back-three at times to mirror their opponents.
Mitchell produced a pair of solid saves with 20 minutes to play, first from St Clair and then Castillo, but from the resulting corner Redan completed his hat-trick with a tap-in on the line.
Derby County: Mitchell; Cover, Wassall, Buchanan, Karic (Sibley, HT); Bateman, Bird; Cresswell, Babos (Whittaker, 77’), Mitchell-Lawson (Knight, HT); Walker.
Substitutes not used: Barnes, Taylor.
Chelsea: Cumming; Grant, Nartey, Guehi; James, Gallagher (Sammut, 78’), McCormick, Castillo; St Clair, Redan (Brown 72’), Barkley (McEachran, 63’).
Substitutes not used: Ziger, Hudson-Odoi.
Redan finished clinically for his first goal of the afternoon but his second came through a moment of pure quality.
With his back to goal, it took just one flick to take him away from his marker and through one-on-one against Mitchell, and he struck beyond the Derby ‘keeper to add gloss to a fine move.
Alex Cover performed well against Sheffield United in midweek and he was a solid presence at right-back once again.
He used possession well and he coped well with Chelsea’s wing-back threat comfortably throughout the second half, after Castillo had caused problems down the left early on.
The Rams face Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday, before they move onto their final two games of the season.
First, it’s West Ham United at Pride Park Stadium on Monday 16th April, before a trip to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City a week later.
