U21s continue their fine start to the season with another win.

U21s continue their fine start to the season with another win.

Derby County Under-21s continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town at Moor Farm training ground this afternoon.

Michael Jacobs’ second-half spot-kick was followed up by Conor Doyle’s close-range finish to secure the Rams’ third straight victory following wins over Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday in recent weeks.

Former Northampton Town midfielder Jacobs was lively from the start, and in the opening 10 minutes the 20-year-old was involved in two early opportunities for the Rams.

Firstly, the winger sent a devilish free-kick in from the right towards Mason Bennett, but the Academy striker glanced a header that dropped the wrong side of the crossbar. 

Just one minute later, Jacobs - who was already having a big influence of the game, cut inside and fed Ben Davies down the right. The former Notts County midfielder tried his luck with a vicious strike from 12-yards, but the ball took a heavy deflection before dropping wide of goal for a corner.

The Rams came even closer to taking the lead in the 17th minute, as a long spell of possession football culminated in Jacobs driving forward and firing a 20-yard shot off the foot of the post.

Then Davies squared the ball to Doyle, but the American youth international could not get enough purchase on his strike, as it fell harmlessly wide of goal.

Despite the home side’s dominance, the Rams went in at half-time on level terms, with Huddersfield’s only real effort coming in the 32nd minute, when Anton Robinson fired wide from a tight angle following Godwin Abadaki’s through ball.

In the second-half the Rams stuck to their energetic, high-tempo display and were almost rewarded when that man Jacobs watched on as his low drive took the slightest of deflections before falling agonisingly wide of the far post.

However, Jacobs’ persistence was finally rewarded in the 69th minute, as the midfielder fired home from the penalty spot after Doyle was brought down by Huddersfield defender Scott Kay.

And 10 minutes later Derby made the game safe. After a neat one-two down the right between Kieron Freeman and Ben Davies, the latter whipped a ball across the face of goal. Substitute Kwame Thomas rose highest and forced Lloyd Allinson into an excellent reflex save, but fortunately for the Rams, Doyle was on hand to tap the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

Freeman came close to adding a third in the dying seconds after a determined run, but the two goals were enough to ensure the Rams’ Under-21s remain unbeaten this season.

Derby County: Legzdins (GK); Freeman, Naylor, Gjokaj, Berry (Adams 75); Davies, Bailey, Dawkins (Dales 71), Jacobs; Bennett (Thomas 61), Doyle.

Subs Not Used: Etheridge (GK).