Derby County Under-18s will look to halt a run of recent defeats when they face Blackburn Rovers in Premier League-North on Saturday, kick-off 12:30pm.
Four defeats in a row in all competitions has produced the Rams’ most troubling spell of the season, with their last match ending in a frantic 6-3 loss to league leaders Manchester United.
Despite this recent form, the performances of the side continue to be encouraging, and a strong first half of the season helped to show the ability within Justin Walker’s and Rory Delap’s squad.
Indeed, both Walker and Delap have commented on the character shown in important moments this campaign and have also called on the team to maintain their self-belief when more difficult times arise.
In the away fixture against Blackburn Rovers in September, a 0-0 draw was played out despite Derby going close to breaking the deadlock on many occasions.
The match was also the second in what would become an 11-game unbeaten run for the Under-18s that stretched through until January.
The Rams currently sit in fifth place in Premier League-North with 20 points from their 14 games.
A win this weekend would put them well within the chasing pack behind Manchester United in what is an increasingly congested top half of the league.
The side have managed to keep their strong defensive record going despite Saturday’s defeat, and go into their next fixture with 24 goals conceded; a tally equal to both Manchester United and Manchester City.
Saturday’s opponents Blackburn Rovers currently sit bottom of Premier League-North on seven points after a 3-1 defeat to Middlesbrough in their last match.
Words by Marc Walker