Derby County U18 4-0 Gateshead U18

Darren Wassall's Under-18s seal convincing victory at Pride Park.

Derby County Under-18s secured their path into the Fourth Round of the FA Youth Cup with a 4-0 victory over Gateshead at Pride Park Stadium, courtesy of a double from Kwame Thomas and second-half goals from Josh Lelan and Andy Dales.
The England Under-16 international handed the home side the lead in the 23rd minute from close range as he turned in Rhys Sharpe’s low cross.
Thomas then doubled the score-line just three minutes later when he latched onto Andy Dales’ clever through ball, and sent a deft shot past goalkeeper James McGregor from eight-yards out.
Lelan made it 3-0 nine minutes after the restart, as he coolly brought down a high ball before side footing it into the bottom corner, prior to Dales adding a fourth in the 77th minute when he found space on the edge of the penalty area and fired low past McGregor.
The Rams went into this evening’s game yet to win a competitive fixture this season; however it was all one way traffic at Pride Park as Mason Bennett volleyed narrowly wide from a matter of yards out following Lelan’s initial header inside the opening three minutes.
And the home side’s dominant start to the match was rewarded shortly after the 20 minute mark. Bennett combined with Sharpe down the left, before the latter sent a low ball into the area where a mixture of Thomas and Gateshead defender Lewis Davison turned the ball into the net.
Then just three minutes later, Thomas was on hand to double both his and the Rams’ tally for the evening. Midfielder Dales found space on the edge of the penalty area and clipped the ball into the path of Thomas. The 17-year-old chested the ball down and coolly steered it into the bottom corner.
Before the half-an-hour mark, the Rams had two chances to extend their lead when Bennett was sent clean through by Niall Dawkins’ header, however the young striker could not get the better of McGregor. Then Dales sent a snap-shot from the edge of the penalty area inches wide, as Derby looked intent on adding a third before the interval.
Gateshead’s first and only real chance of the half fell to Dan Taggard on 39 minutes, but the striker’s effort from 20-yards fell wide of Ross Etheridge’s near post.
In the second-half, England Under-16 international Max Lowe produced a moment of magic when dribbled past a staggering five Gateshead players before seeing his subsequent strike come back off the foot of the post.
Lowe’s effort was a continuation of the Rams’ impressive opening, and with nine minutes gone in the second half, Derby made the game safe through defender Lelan. The young centre-back ignored the visitors’ claims of an offside and expertly brought down a high ball in the penalty area before slotting it past McGregor.
However, in the 62nd minute, Gateshead had an opportunity to pull a goal back when Thomas was penalised by referee Steve Meredith for handball in his own penalty area. Levi Oman stepped up for the away side, and although he slipped during his run up, it still took a terrific stop from Etheridge to deny the Gateshead forward.
In the 72nd minute, Alex Wixted sent a 25-yard free-kick crashing off the back of the crossbar, which proved a warning shot for Gateshead as five minutes later, Dales completed the scoring with the Rams’ fourth of the evening. Substitute Kurtis Raven saw his initial effort blocked on the edge of the box, but the rebound fell kindly for Dales, who wriggled free and fired low into the bottom corner.
With five minutes remaining, Thomas was handed two opportunities to seal a hat-trick either side of Rawson heading against the crossbar from Sharpe's in-swinging corner. Firstly, the striker was denied by goalkeeper McGregor, who pulled off a fine save from point blank range, prior to Thomas scooping over from inside the six-yard box in stoppage time.
Derby County: Etheridge (GK); Hayes (Rawson 82), Lelan, Hanson, Lowe; Wixted (Wassall 81), Dales, Dawkins, Sharpe; Bennett (Revan 76), Thomas.
Subs Not Used: Spiriak (GK), Johnson.
Gateshead: McGregor (GK), Brereton, Davison, Clay (King 58), Lee, Coppen, Fisher (Kanda 58), Watson, Taggart, Nichol, Oman.
Subs Not Used: Wilson (GK), Halliday, Gurr.