Jobserve Community Stadium
Derby County Under-21s' 2025/26 Premier League 2 campaign began with a 4-3 defeat in a high-scoring meeting at Ipswich Town on Friday night.
Danny Maye’s side travelled to Colchester United's Jobserve Community Stadium to kick off the new season, and a dominant first-half display saw Derby earn a two-goal cushion going into half-time.
Jerome Richards' 27th-minute strike and then a goal from Justin Oguntolu (above) 10 minutes later fired Derby two goals in front.
But the hosts came back into the game with two quickfire goals in the second period, courtesy of Tom Taylor and Ashton Boswell in the 52nd and 53rd minutes.
Derby fought back quickly, though, and winger Niall McAndrew regained the lead just five minutes later to make it 3-2.
There was an immediate response from the hosts, who levelled in the 62nd minute through winger Josh Pitts’ strike.
Two minutes later, attacker Tudor Mendel-Idowu put the Tractor Boys in the lead for the first time in the eventful match, a lead which they held on to in order to claim the three points.
Derby County Under-21s: Price (GK), Turley, (Perry 46) I Gordon (K Robinson 62), Hawkins, Banks, Osayande, Richards, McAndrew (Wilson 73), Wheeldon, Eames (Tola 62), Oguntolu.
Substitute Not Used: J Thompson (GK).
“The game was one of two very different halves,”Senior Professional Development Phase Coach Danny Maye said after the game.
“We controlled the game with the ball in the first half. As it went on, we started to create a lot of chances and should have gone in more than two goals up by the break.
“When we had a chance to press, we did it well with numbers but lacked the quality we needed on the regain."
Maye stressed the importance of being able to reflect after the second half performance made for a high-scoring match for both teams.
He said: “After half-time, we struggled with their changes - they pressed with more numbers and we panicked too often.
“This shifted the momentum, and we didn’t defend anywhere near the levels expected and were left far too open and vulnerable to anything long with players jumping too far forward.
“We were disappointed to lose in the manner that we did, but there is a lot of learning for the players to come from that.”
Derby's Under-21s are back in action in Premier League 2 on Saturday 23rd August against Birmingham City at Moor Farm Training Ground (12pm kick-off).
