Derby County’s Under 21s extended their unbeaten run to three games with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Fulham at the iPro Stadium on Monday evening.
Derby County’s Under 21s extended their unbeaten run to three games with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Fulham at the iPro Stadium on Monday evening.
A first half strike from Ivan Calero had Derby in front early on and second half finishes from Alex Pearce and substitute Shaquille McDonald settled the Barclays Under 21 Premier League Division 2 fixture.
Derby have now won two of their last three games, drawing the other one, and showed a ruthless streak to their game in an impressive display under the floodlights.
Darren Wassall’s side contained just two regular first-team squad members in central defender Pearce and midfielder Jamie Hanson. Their experience told in key areas of the team with Pearce, in particular, a calming and assured influence on his team-mates at the heart of the defence.
The Republic of Ireland international has featured in just one game for Paul Clement’s side this season following arrival from Reading, in the Capital One Cup against Portsmouth, and was given the opportunity to get match minutes under his belt.
Hanson, a graduate of Derby’s Academy, has made a handful of first-team outings this term and, like Pearce, was given a run out to remain up to match speed.
Fulham’s line-up, meanwhile, included the experienced former England international midfielder Scott Parker, on-loan Everton full-back Luke Garbutt and Wales international striker George Williams.
It was the Cottagers who settled quicker in the opening exchanges, enjoying spells of possession high up the pitch and Parker seeing plenty of the ball. Concentration proved to be key early on and Derby kept their defensive shape as Fulham pushed for an early goal.
However, the Rams evaded that spell of pressure and grew into the game, taking the lead after 17 minutes.
Mason Bennett did superbly down the right to advance into the box and cut back to Isak Ssewankambo, who saw his shot cannon back off the post, leaving Calero with the simple task of lashing the ball into the roof of the net from a few yards out on the rebound.
Derby enjoyed even more of the play from that point, growing in confidence, and Calero nearly added to his and the Rams’ tally on the half hour with a curling effort from the edge of the box that went just over the bar.
Fulham’s first shot on target came on 37 minutes, but it proved to be a routine one for Jonathan Mitchell in goal to deal with as he easily got his hands behind Williams’ tame effort from the edge of the box.
The goalkeeper also had to be alert in the final minute of the half to dive bravely at the feet of Williams in the box, in order to deny the former MK Dons forward the chance to get a shot away following a scramble.
The second half kicked off with a high tempo from both sides, but chances proved to be limited with the only effort before the hour being a curling effort from Callum Guy for Derby that Marek Rodak easily saved in the Fulham goal.
The Rams then took control of proceedings with two goals in eight minutes proving to be decisive.
On 65 minutes, Derby doubled their lead. Hanson drifted a corner into the box from the right and, with Fulham unable to clear their lines, Pearce fired a low effort into the bottom corner with his left foot after the ball fell kindly into his path.
Another goal followed on 72 minutes and it proved to be a spectacular one as McDonald, four minutes after coming off the bench, let fly with a superb right-foot effort from distance which flew into the top corner
The final 15 minutes were fairly routine for Derby as they saw out proceedings to continue their rise up the league table and more goals could have followed, but Guy and McDonald had shots saved.
The Under 21s' next league fixture a long trip south to Brighton & Hove Albion on 19th October.
Derby County Under 21s: Mitchell, Ssewankambo, Lowe, Hanson, Pearce, Koblenz, Guy, Santos, Bunjaku (Zanzala 68), Bennett (McDonald 68), Calero (Vernam 77)
Substitutes Not Used: Mackay, Wassall
Fulham Under 21s: Rodak, Sheckleford, Garbutt (Evans 53), Parker (Elworthy 53), Pino Soler, Burgess, O’Halloran, Edun, Walker, Williams (De La Torre 60), Kait
Substitutes Not Used: Dawber
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