3/1 To Win
Pat Lyons believes that Derby County’s Under-23s produced a great all-round performance as they secured a vital 1-0 win against West Ham United at the Training Centre on Monday afternoon.
After Sunderland’s victory against Leicester City on Sunday, the Rams needed to avoid defeat to move out of the Premier League 2 – Division 1 relegation places ahead of the final round of fixtures.
Thanks to Jayden Bogle’s cool second-half finish, they did just that, but Lyons was most impressed with the qualities that the side displayed after taking the lead.
He told RamsTV: “It was a great performance, we showed real courage, effort and desire in difficult conditions.
“We are really happy with the performance in a different way. The performance was all about our battling quality, digging into together and seeing the game through, and it was great to get a result.”
Several first team names came into the side, with Jonathan Mitchell, Jamie Hanson and George Thorne all completing 90 minutes, whilst Richard Keogh started before being brought off at half-time.
Lyons praised the application of the players that came into the side, as well as Bogle, who was returning to Under-23s action after several weeks with the first team squad.
He said: “Their attitude was excellent. We know that when the first team players come to train or play with us that their attitude and application is fantastic.
“They helped the younger players to get through the game and it was great to see.
“Hopefully it has given them the minutes that they need to help their first team performances.”
On Bogle, he added: “We’re pleased for him because he hasn’t played for a bit as he’s been around the first team, so we knew that it would take its toll in the second half, but he showed great determination to see the game out.”
The Rams head to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester next Monday, knowing a point is likely to be enough to secure their safety.
Lyons believes that a result against the league leaders would secure a magnificent feat for the club as a whole.
He said: “They need to win to win the league, and we need something to stay up.
“We need to make sure that we get something out of the game to secure our position again for next season.
“It would be a great achievement for the football club and the academy to stay at this level for another season.”
