Derby County’s Under-21s have qualification for the knock-out stages of the Premier League Cup firmly in their hands following a well-deserved 3-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth on Monday night.
Darren Robinson’s first half header and close-range finishes from Lennon Wheeldon and Dajaune Brown in the second period fired the Rams to victory and into top spot in Group B with one game left to play.
Derby dominated for long spells at Moor Farm Training Ground and were full value for their convincing win over the Cherries.
Pat Lyons’ side started the contest strongly and attacking midfield duo Osazee Aghatise and Ola Ibrahim both failed to find the target with efforts inside the opening 15 minutes of the cup clash.
Aghatise went on to hit the post with an effort from distance after 18 minutes as the Rams’ early pressure continued in the freezing Derbyshire conditions.
Striker Wheeldon, who netted in the Under-21s’ 4-0 rout of local non-league side Graham Street Prims last week in the Derbyshire Senior Cup, spurned a glorious opportunity at the midway point of the half as he lifted the ball over from close range in front of goal.
Despite the near misses, Derby’s energetic and all-action start offered plenty of encouragement – and it wouldn’t be long until their efforts were rewarded for such a fast start.
Derby eventually opened the scoring after 26 minutes - with Northern Ireland youth international Robinson on target in his first game back from a two-month lay-off with an ankle problem. Aghatise won a corner after he saw his shot from distance deflected behind and, from Cian Kelly-Caprani’s excellent delivery, Robinson rose highest to powerfully head home at the far post.
Lyons’ side dominated the remainder of the opening 45 minutes, but they couldn’t add to their single goal advantage by the end of the half.
Derby didn’t take long to add to their tally after half time, though. Excellent work by the Rams down the right-hand side saw Max Bardell deliver an inviting low cross for Wheeldon to tap home from a few yards out just five minutes after the restart.
They remained in control for much of the half and an excellent evening’s work was rounded off with just over 15 minutes remaining as Kwaku Oduroh crossed from the right for substitute Brown, on in place of Wheeldon in attack, to net his first Under-21s goal from a few yards out.
The Under-21s’ final Premier League Cup group fixture will see them travel south to face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Seagulls’ Amex Elite Football Performance Centre on Monday 19th December (7pm kick-off) and a win or a draw will be enough to see the Rams progress beyond the group stages for the second season in succession.
Derby County Under-21s: Roberts (GK), Bardell, Kelly-Caprani, Bates (Brailsford 84), Rooney (C), Solomon, Oduroh (Burton 84), Robinson (Clarke 63), Wheeldon (Brown 67), Ibrahim, Aghatise.
Substitutes Not Used: Evans (GK).
AFC Bournemouth Under-21s: Terrell (GK), Popoola (Johnson 53), Greenwood (C), Brown, Kinsey-Wellings, Francis, Dacosta Gonzalez (Gidaree 46), Burgess (Okoh 59), Adu-Adjei, Sadi (Williams 67), Boutin.
Substitutes Not Used: Camis (GK).
