Damson Park
Derby County continued to gear up towards the start of the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship campaign with an entertaining 4-2 friendly victory at National League side Solihull Moors on Tuesday evening.
Sam Creaney’s superb volley put the home side ahead after 15 minutes in the West Midlands, but Derby levelled shortly afterwards through midfielder Ebou Adams’ header.
Cameron Green’s long-range strike put Solihull back in front on the half hour mark, only for defender Danny Batth to make it 2-2 deep into added time at the end of a frantic opening 45 minutes.
Derby took the lead for the first time on the night just before the hour through attacker Corey Blackett-Taylor’s penalty and young striker Charles Ebuka Agbawodikeizu further extended the lead midway through the second period with a fine fourth.
With the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship campaign opener at Stoke City on Saturday 9th August fast approaching, Head Coach John Eustace named a strong side to take on the fifth-tier outfit.
The clash with Matthew Taylor’s side, who finished 14th in English football’s fifth tier last term, was Derby’s fifth public friendly ahead of the new campaign following their previous clashes against local non-league side Matlock Town, Austrian top-flight outfit FC Red Bull Salzburg, League Two Walsall and most recently League One Burton Albion at the weekend.
Striker Carlton Morris started as he sought to gain more match minutes after coming off the bench for his first Rams outing since joining from Luton Town in June during Saturday’s friendly at League One side Burton Albion. There were welcome returns on the bench following injury for Joe Ward and Ryan Nyambe, as well as summer signing Andi Weimann, after the trio recently returned to training.
Solihull’s Sam Bowen had the first chance of the contest after just four minutes. The midfielder let fly with a right-foot effort from around 20 yards out which took a nick off the outstretched leg of defender Batth and went behind for a corner that was eventually cleared by the Rams.
The hosts took the lead after 15 minutes - and it came in spectacular fashion. A high diagonal ball in behind the Derby backline from midfield was met with a first-time left-foot volley by early substitute Creaney inside the penalty area and his strike fizzed powerfully into the back of the Derby net with goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström well beaten.
The Rams were level just nine minutes later, however. The ball was worked out to Blackett-Taylor on the left-hand side by Morris and the winger used his pace and quick feet to beat his marker and deliver an inviting cross into the six-yard box which was headed home from six yards out by the onrushing Adams.
Solihull’s lead was restored on the half hour mark as the pendulum swung in their favour once more. Full-back Green was afforded time and space to shoot from around 25 yards out and his low strike fizzed across the turf and into Zetterström’s bottom left-hand corner.
Blackett-Taylor almost had another pre-season goal to his name with ten minutes remaining in the first half. The wideman used his pace to good effect once more to burst through the middle of the pitch and into the Solihull box, although his composure wasn’t quite on point as he blasted a left-foot effort over the crossbar.
Derby had two chances to get back level late in the half as they upped the ante. First Adams put a ball across the box from the left which Morris was unable to get on the end of and direct goalwards, while Liam Thompson had a long-range effort deflected behind in added time.
The subsequent corner from Thompson’s shot saw the Rams finally get their equaliser as Kenzo Goudmijn’s deep delivery to the centre of the six-yard box was powerfully headed into the back of the net by Batth.
Derby made a change at the break with striker Ebuka Agbawodikeizu replacing Morris, who got a good 45 minutes under his belt to help increase his match sharpness after missing the opening pre-season matches with a minor injury issue.
The first noteworthy action of the second period saw Derby awarded a penalty after 56 minutes. Blackett-Taylor was floored in the box after bursting away down the left and into the area, with a defender clipping his heels as he prepared to cross. The winger picked himself up to take the spot-kick himself and roll the ball into the net for his fourth pre-season goal.
Weimann, Nyambe and Ward all came off the bench for the Rams on the hour mark to get their first pre-season minutes after recovering from their respective injuries sustained last season.
Derby’s lead was almost extended on 64 minutes. Goudmijn put an enticing free-kick into the Solihull area from the right and Rooney met it with a firm header, although it was just off target.
Ebuka Agbawodikeizu netted the Rams’ fourth goal with just over 20 minutes left. The second-year scholar latched onto a header in behind the home defence by Weimann and he used his pace and power to advance clear on goal and keep his cool to slot the ball past the onrushing Laurie Walker.
The latter stages of the contest petered out, although Nyambe did have a chance from a deep Ward cross from the left from Ward as two of Derby's substitutes combined well. The delivery was superb, but Nyambe was unable to guide his first-time effort on target.
The Rams saw the game out well to claim a third pre-season win in their penultimate friendly outing before the new campaign.
Derby will now prepare to round off their pre-season games programme with a friendly against Greek top-flight side Atromitos at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 2nd August (3pm kick-off).
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Turley (Nyambe 60), Rooney, Batth, Forsyth, L Thompson, Adams (C), Goudmijn (Hodges 89), Jackson (Ward 60), Blackett-Taylor (Weimann 60), Morris (Ebuka Agbawodikeizu 46).
Substitutes Not Used: J Thompson (GK), O’Donnell (GK), Banks, Gough, Osayande.
