Derby County fell to defeat in their third pre-season friendly of the summer as they were beaten 1-0 by Sky Bet League Two side Stevenage.
Elliott List scored the only goal of the game in the first half as he fired home from the edge of the box as Derby were beaten for the first time this summer.
In the soaring heat in the south, Derby started the game brightly as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s deep cross found Craig Forsyth steaming in at the back post, but he headed wide.
But, Stevenage managed to grow into the half and were unfortunate not to take the lead soon after. A loose pass presented skipper Max Clark with an opportunity to shoot at goal but his effort was tame and comfortably saved by Wildsmith.
The goalkeeper would be called into action a few times throughout the half as Luke Norris saw an effort saved, whilst ten minutes later, he received a cross from List but headed wide of the goal.
However, on the half hour mark, the home side would make their pressure pay as they took the lead. Jake Taylor found List who still had work to do, but he managed to cut inside and fire a low shot past the helpless Wildsmith to give Stevenage the advantage.
Derby did react well and should have been level four minutes later. A long ball from Cashin found Mendez-Laing on the left, he laid it back to Kwaku Oduroh whose pinpoint cross found the head of Jason Knight but the Irishman’s header was off-target.
The hosts pushed for a second before the half time interval as Clark forced a good save from Wildsmith, but there was plenty of work for the Rams to do in the second half.
Liam Rosenior made a number of planned changes at the break with more players stepping up their match minutes as they build up their match sharpness ahead of the new Sky Bet League One campaign.
But, it would be the hosts who continued to apply the pressure to the Rams at the start of the second half as Stevenage substitute Jamie Reid twice went close to scoring.
The striker was presented with an opportunity 12 yards from goal but Eiran Cashin flew to deny his fierce effort, whilst two minutes later, Reid managed to get behind the defence and shot but he was denied by the legs of Wildsmith.
Further changes were made for the Rams on the hour mark with Scott Loach, Tom Barkhuizen and Haydon Roberts introduced, the latter of which showed a lot of neat touches throughout the final half an hour.
The Rams did start asking questions of their opponents as the game entered the closing stages, but clear cut chances just eluded Rosenior’s side as their 100% pre-season record came to an end.
Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, Clark (C), Reeves, Piergianni, Sweeney, List, Taylor, Norris, Smith, Vancooten, Bostwick.
Substitutes: Chapman, Wildin, Roberts, Read, Reid, Earley, Rose, Williams, Townsend-West, Smith.
Derby County: Wildsmith (Loach 63’), Oduroh, Davies (Stearman 46’), Cashin, Forsyth (Roberts 63’), Hourihane (Bird 46’), Thompson (Robinson 81’), Sibley, Knight (Barkhuizen 63’), Mendez-Laing (Diallo 46’), Collins (Stretton 46’).
Attendance: 1,312 (733 Derby County supporters)