3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-21s' pre-season preparations continue with a defeat...
After three straight victories for Lee Glover’s Under-21 side, the Rams were undone at the Training Centre today as a double from Adam Coombes helped Notts County to a 3-1 win.The Rams’ Under-21s went into this morning’s pre-season friendly off the back of three consecutive victories, having overcome Leicester City, Brentford and most recently Corby Town last weekend.
Nathan Tyson got Derby off to a flying start inside the opening two minutes when he beat Fabian Spiess to the ball and nodded Theo Robinson’s right-wing cross into the net.
The duo linked up again in the seventh minute with almost a carbon copy move of the goal, but this time, despite being at full extension, Tyson could not quite get a toe onto Robinson’s cross.
The provider almost turned goal-scorer four minutes later when the Jamaican international scooped Andy Dales’ low cut-back over the bar from eight-yards out, before the Rams were made to pay for not extending their lead.
In the 17th minute, Derby failed to deal with a high ball into the box, as Coombes rose highest to nod past Mats Morch and level the score-line.
Coombes’ header had come against the run of play, and Derby soon responded as Rhys Sharpe sent a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar, whilst neat interplay between Tyson, trialist Michael Clunan and Robinson, ended in the latter turning over the midfielder’s fizzed cross.
But despite the Rams’ first-half dominance, Notts stormed ahead after the interval with Kyle Dixon ghosting past three players before dispatching a fine 20-yard strike into the bottom corner in the 57th minute.
Glover introduced Adam Wixted, Niall Dawkins and Dylan Hayes shortly after the hour mark, but the trio could do nothing to stop the Magpies taking a two goal advantage four minutes later, as Coombes waltzed into the penalty area and fired past Morch at the goalkeeper’s near post.
The impressive Coombes almost sealed a hat-trick in the 69th minute when he displayed tremendous skill to beat Hayes down the left prior to seeing his snap-shot palmed away by Morch.
With 10 minutes remaining the Rams pressed hard for a way back into the game, and almost found one when Sharpe’s long ball forward was picked up by Tyson. The striker showed a quick burst of pace to get past the defender, but could not get the better of Spiess, who blocked the former Reading forward’s shot with his feet.
Tyson had another opportunity to halve the deficit late on, but saw his dipping 25-yard free-kick expertly tipped over by Spiess, as Derby Under-21s’ penultimate pre-season friendly of the 2013/14 campaign ended in defeat.
Next up for Glover’s men is a trip to Mickleover Sports on Tuesday 13th August (7:45pm kick-off), before their first Professional Development League 2 season gets underway at Crewe Alexandra on Monday 19th August (1:00pm kick-off).
Derby County: Morch (Etheridge 76’) (GK); Naylor (Hayes 61’), O'Connor, Berry (Lelan 76’), Sharpe; Robinson (Wixted 61’), Wassall, Dales, Clunan (Dawkins 61’), Thomas; Tyson.
