Derby County Under-18s were victorious in the East Midlands Derby as they defeated Nottingham Forest, scoring three times without reply, at the Nigel Doughty Academy on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Niall McAndrew, Adisa Osayande and Jerome Richards secured the three points in Under-18 Premier League - North for the Rams, as they remain third in the league standings.
Danny Maye’s side were in control in the opening 20 minutes of the match, as they created numerous chances and looked comfortable in defence.
McAndrew capitalised on Derby’s dominance on the 27-minute mark, as the ball fell to the Republic of Ireland youth international inside the Forest penalty area for a thumping finish into the top right corner.
The Rams' second goal came on the brink of half-time, as Demiane Agustien’s corner was met by Osayande inside the six-yard box to head home and give them a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
The victory and three points were secured in the second half when Tristan Gill’s whipped pass was flicked into the path of Richards by Justin Oguntolu in the 59th minute, allowing for a composed finish past Willows in the Forest net.
Team News
Derby County Under-18s: Price (GK), I. Gordon, Gill (K. Gordon 63), Canoville, Banks (C), Osayande (Friars 76), Richards, Agustien, Oguntolu, McAndrew (Hodges 63), Green (Corry 63).
Substitutes Not Used: Rees (GK).
Post-Match Reaction
Under-18s Assistant Coach, and former Derby midfielder, Bradley Johnson was pleased with the Rams’ performance against their local rivals.
He said: “I thought we were really good. It was a different kind of game to ones we’ve played before as Forest really sat in and it was hard for the team to break them down. Towards the end, the lads really dug in and found a way to get the win that they deserved.
“The group know what the rivalry means, but as coaches we just tell them that it’s just another game. That’s just how we treated it today."
The Rams’ next fixture comes at Pride Park Stadium, as they host Sunderland in the FA Youth Cup Third Round.
“It’s all the players have been speaking about,” Johnson admitted.
“We have focused on our league games first but now we can concentrate on that. All the players want to play in it and hopefully there will be a good turnout at Pride Park.”
The FA Youth Cup tie against Sunderland is on Tuesday 17th December (7pm kick-off).
Words: Joe Bird