They may have already secured their qualification for the next round of the Premier League Cup, but Derby County’s Under-23s defender Alex Cover’s Friday’s final group meeting with Middlesbrough is important for both consistency and momentum.
The Rams travel north buoyed by their back-to-back wins over Nottingham Forest and most recently Everton earlier this week.
Luke Thomas, Max Bird and Lewis Walker all scored in the win at Goodison Park as Darren Wassall’s side claimed their first three points in Premier League 2 Division 1 since November.
Cover, outstanding at centre back in the victory, says it was pleasing to see the Rams’ fine performances rewarded – especially against a high-profile opponent.
“We were delighted with that,” he told dcfc.co.uk. “Over the last few weeks we have put in some good performances – we got the win against Nottingham Forest before that, but prior to that we couldn’t quite get that win.
“We got a few draws so against Everton, it was pleasing to combine such a good performance with the three points.
“Maybe we had a bit of luck along the way, but we earned that with the hard work we put in.
“We grafted really well as a unit, showed a lot of dedication picking up the loose and second balls and every player, from those starting to those that came on, were superb. We feel like we deserved it.”
Darren Wassall’s side will be able to go into Friday’s game without any pressure on their shoulders when they take on Middlesbrough.
Derby have already secured top spot in Group A of their Premier League Cup campaign, having won four of their five games in the competition to date.
That said, Cover insists no-one will be taking the game against Boro for granted.
With a little momentum in their sails now, the defender wants to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.
“We’re unbeaten in a few games at the moment and have won our last two as well. Most importantly now, we want to keep that going,” he said ahead of the game.
“Momentum is important and if we can get another win you begin to really carry some weight behind you.
“Friday’s game is important, regardless of the fact that we have qualified. We want to go and win that game, there’s no doubt about that.
“We want to build consistency in our performances and results and continue to push on, both in the league and in this competition.
“We haven’t had much of a taste for knockout football in recent years and again, that’s something we’re all looking forward to.”
