3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-18s will be aiming to end their season with a third consecutive victory when they take on Manchester City on Saturday.
Justin Walker and Rory Delap’s side will travel to the City Football Academy to face the Sky Blues in their final Premier League – North tie of the campaign, kick-off: 12pm.
The Rams have had a lot of fixtures over the past fortnight, with this clash against City being their fifth in the past two weeks. Despite this, the squad have adapted well, having picked up victories over Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last two matches.
On Tuesday, braces from Tyree Wilson and Morgan Whittaker helped Derby to a 5-3 victory over Wolves at Molineux.
Just three days earlier, the Rams had defeated Newcastle United 3-1 at the Training Centre in partnership with the University of Derby. They showed no signs of fatigue from that victory though, as Jayden Mitchell-Lawson put the visitors ahead inside the opening 20 minutes.
Goals from Wilson and Whittaker then handed Derby a three-goal lead with just over half an hour gone, but their advantage over the hosts was reduced as Luke Cundle clawed a goal back for Wolves just before half time.
Wilson and Whittaker both netted again after the restart to put Derby 5-1 ahead. However, Austin Samuels struck twice late on for Wolves to keep the score respectable.
After recent matches, joint managers Delap and Walker have both praised the performances shown by their side.
They are hoping that the Under-18s will be able to finish their league campaign with a third victory on the bounce against a City side who will be coming off the back of a 2-1 defeat against local rivals Manchester United.
In the reverse fixture in December, the Rams earned a 2-0 victory over the Sky Blues after two early goals from Jason Knight.
With just one game remaining, Derby currently sit in fifth position in the league table, level on points with their upcoming opponents City. A win for the Rams on Saturday could propel them up into third place.
Words: Jonty Colman
