Darren Wassall has commended his young players for their “moral courage” as they fell to a harsh Leicester City 3-1 in the final game of the season.
It was night of mixed emotions for the Derby County Under-23s who saw a hard-fought victory slip away at the King Power Stadium. However, the spotlight was on the outstanding future players of the club who will remain in the Premier League 2 Division 1 and compete with the best teams in the country for another season.
Once again, the pressure was on for the Rams ahead of season-defining trip to the Foxes.
However, Wassall’s side were cool and calm from the first whistle and took control of a meeting, against a team that has been chasing the league title for much of the season, until a harsh red card shown to 16-year-old Louie Sibley with 15 minutes to go changed the dynamic.
Wassall told RamsTV: “It does [hurt to lose in that manner]. We said to them before the game, just like we did before West Ham, we need a really strong performance.
“I think we started the game like a house on fire, we were really aggressive all over the pitch. Then our younger players had the moral courage to get on the ball, they passed it well and created better opportunities than Leicester.
“Overall we are very pleased with that performance. When you look at the bigger picture, we are disappointed with the result because obviously you don’t want to lose a game, but we are pleased with the performance tonight - as we have been all season.”
A magnificent goal from Timi Max Elsnik put the Rams ahead early in the first half and set the tone for much of the match. The wonder-strike left Wassall in awe on the side line along with the rest of the stadium.
He said: “That’s the goal of the season for the Under-23s. That should have been good enough to win any game, no goalkeeper in the world is stopping that.
“We were right behind it and thought it was going wide at one stage but it found its way in the top corner – an unbelievable strike.”
The defeat meant the young rams would have to rely on Sunderland’s result against Swansea City, who kicked-off at the same time as Derby and Leicester.
The Black Cats, who needed a win, but their 1-0 loss meant they are relegated alongside Manchester United and Derby will survive in the top division for another season.
Wassall was thrilled his much younger and less experienced team proved their capabilities to remain in the league for the second-straight season.
“It’s an incredible achievement for a championship club to remain in this league for the second season running against the top clubs in the country. It is a testament to the ability of the Under-23s we have in this club.
“That’s not just the Under-23s, but the 18s and 16s that were playing tonight – the future is very bright for our academy players.”
He added: “The whole club should be proud of the whole operation. A lot of resources have gone in to the facility, the staff and the players, and it’s bearing fruit.”
