Derby County Under-21s landed an impressive 5-2 victory over Lincoln City Under-21s in the Central League Cup on Tuesday afternoon.
A hat-trick from substitute Tony Weston plus goals from Elliot Embleton and Dajaune Brown ensured the Rams sealed a comfortable victory at Moor Farm Training Ground.
Recent arrival Embleton and forward Tom Barkhuizen, after recovering from a calf injury sustained in pre-season, got vital match minutes under their belts as they look to break into Head Coach Paul Warne's first team thoughts in the near future.
Summer signing Embleton, who arrived on loan from Sunderland on Transfer Deadline Day, got the Rams on their way after just three minutes with a fine strike from outside of the box before the Imps equalised less than 10 minutes later through Jovon Makama's cool finish from close range.
With the rain pouring down, nothing could separate the teams at half-time but as the rain dried up in the second period, the goals certainly did not.
Half-time substitute Weston, who joined the Under-21s from Rangers in the summer, bagged his first of the day after an hour after latching onto a loose back-pass before Lincoln once again levelled things up just a few minutes later through Joe Morley's long-range effort.
A quick-fire double as the cup tie entered the final ten minutes all but sealed the game with Brown putting the side in front for a third time from a few yards before Weston scored his second of the day after being presented the ball by the visiting goalkeeper to roll into the net to give Jake Buxton's men a bit of breathing room.
And there was still time for Weston to secure a 45-minute hat-trick after Adebayo Fapetu was fouled in the area in added time.
Weston stepped up and made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to add his third and the Rams' fifth to complete the scoring and cement a great result on home turf.
The Team
Derby County Under-21s: Loach (GK), Perry, Jeffcott, Hawkins (40' Allen), Radcliffe (C), Robinson (81'Osayande), Barkhuizen (Gibson-Hammond), Embleton (45' Weston), Brown, Fapetu, Davidson.
Substitutes Not Used: Ridd (GK).
