Joe Haigh scored a wonderful goal as Derby County Under-21s drew 1-1 with Queens Park Rangers Under-21s in the Premier League Cup at Loughborough University Stadium on Monday evening.
Alfie Lloyd gave the visitors the lead midway through the first-half before Haigh bagged a well deserved equaliser with five minutes to go.
Derby started brightly with Cian Kelly-Caprani fizzing a shot that deflected inches past Matteo Salamon’s right-hand post following great work from Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.
Haigh then did well to work space and fire a decent effort that stung the palms of Salamon.
It was QPR that took the lead soon after though. Harrison Murphy picked up a loose pass in the middle of the park and slipped a ball through to Lloyd who finished low and hard past a helpless Harry Evans.
Derby thought they had an instant response when George Nunn’s header found the net from a corner but the referee’s whistle had already blown for an adjudged foul in the box.
Another golden chance to equalise came and went right on the stroke of half-time. Again it was a set-piece causing problems in the box of the visitors and the ball fell kindly to Bartosz Cybulski two-yards out but he couldn’t sort his feet out quickly enough and his effort ultimately was a tame one that Salamon gratefully collected with two hands.
It was more of the same after the restart with the young Rams nearly finding an equaliser within seconds of the whistle. Haigh put a teasing ball across the box but Olamide Ibrahim got there just a little late and saw his effort rebound back off the outside of the post.
Pat Lyon’s men had a shout for a penalty turned away around the hour mark when Kelly-Caprani looked to have been brought down by Salamon but the referee made his mind up early and was unmoved by the protests around him.
Derby finally got their reward as we entered the final five minutes and it was an exquisite one from Haigh. A great ball over the top from Harrison Solmon found the midfielder down the right-hand side and with the visiting goalkeeper off his line, Haigh sent a delightful lob over the top of him and into the back of the net.
The Rams pressed for a winner but had to settle for a draw in what was, overall, a much improved performance.
Derby County U21s: Evans (GK); Oduroh, Kelly-Caprani, Clarke (81’ Bates), Solomon, Grewal-Pollard, Lo-Everton, Haigh, Cybulski (C), Nunn (72’ Fapetu), Ibrahim.
Substitutes not used: Wheeldon, Roberts, Brailsford.
Queens Park Ranger U21s: Salamon (GK); Harrack, Bagan, Rendall (C), Hawkins, Flaherty, Ajose (88’ Cotter), Murphy, Lloyd, Pedder, Bala.
Substitutes not used: Dougi, Halwax, Hamid.
