Derby County Under-23s were beaten 5-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday night as their battle to remain in Premier League 2 - Division 1 continues.
Pat Lyons’ youthful side remain at the foot of the league table and are nine points adrift of safety with four league matches left to play this term.
Todd Miller put Brighton ahead with just under 20 minutes played on the South Coast but Derby hit back to equalise after the half hour mark through Jack Stretton after a mistake in the Brighton backline.
Jack Spong restored the home side’s lead on 40 minutes with a curling shot into the top corner from distance and Cameron Peupion added a third in the final seconds of the half.
Spong added another on the hour from the penalty spot before Miller rounded off the scoring late on at the Seagulls’ Amex Stadium and despite a difficult night on the pitch Lyons’ side never threw the towel in and competed until the final whistle.
Lyons was able to call upon a number of players from the first-team looking to get match minutes under their belts with Louie Sibley, Liam Thompson and Stretton all named in the starting line-up.
Under-18s goalkeeper Harry Evans made his first start for the Under-23s in the league, having made a Premier League Cup appearance at Reading earlier this year, while Connor Dixon and Harrison Solomon made their second successive starts after recently returning from injury.
Sibley drew a good save from Brighton goalkeeper James Beadle with a low angled drive from inside the box early on, after being played through by Louie Watson, but the Rams fell behind after 19 minutes as Miller slotted beyond Evans from inside the box from Andrew Moran’s clever pass.
Derby, however, hit back to equalise after 31 minutes. A poor clearance by Beadle, looking to play out from the back, saw him pass the ball straight to Stretton on the edge of the box and the Scotland Under-21 international made no mistake when presented with a golden chance to score with a thunderous strike into the top corner with his right foot.
Brighton’s lead was, however, restored ten minutes later in spectacular fashion. Spong latched onto the ball on the edge of the penalty area and, after finding himself in space, he curled a left-foot effort which flew into the top corner beyond the reach of Evans’ outstretched right hand.
Peupion added the Seagulls’ third in the final minutes of the half as he burst clear on goal from the right-hand side and kept his cool to roll the ball into the back of the net to round off a slick move.
Derby’s hopes of finding a way back into the game after the break were dealt a blow on the hour mark as a foul by Sibley following a corner resulted in Brighton being awarded a penalty, with Spong keeping his cool to drive the ball low beyond Evans to net their fourth of the night.
The Rams tightened up at the back in the final half hour but Albion still found time for a fifth late on as Miller turned sharply on the edge of the box and lashed a low strike into the bottom corner.
Derby’s Under-23s are back in action on Sunday when they host West Bromwich Albion at Pride Park Stadium in the Quarter Final stage of the Premier League Cup (2pm kick-off), before returning to league action with a trip to Leicester City on Good Friday (1pm kick-off).
Brighton & Hove Albion Under-23s: Beadle (GK), Offiah, Furlong, Turns, Roberts, Tsoungui (Baker-Boaitey 68), Peupion, Leonard (C), Moran (Ella 85), Spong, Miller.
Substitutes Not Used: Talley (GK), Hinchy, Chouchane.
Derby County Under-23s: Evans (GK), McDonald, Grewal-Pollard (Shonibare 77), Thompson (Wilson 65), Solomon (Robinson 79), Clarke, Dixon, Watson (C), Cybulski, Sibley, Stretton.
Substitutes Not Used: Barnes (GK), Matthews.