3/1 To Win
Two late goals condemned Derby County to a 3-1 defeat in their second pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town at Field Mill.
Jordan Graham put the home side in front just after the hour-mark, before Mason Bennett equalised with his second goal in as many pre-season games.
Strikes in the last 15 minutes from Lee Angol - from the penalty spot - and CJ Hamilton secured the victory for the home side.
Tom Lawrence looked sharp against Notts County at the weekend and he picked up where he left off with a series of penetrative runs with the ball, whilst Luke Thomas offered a similar threat on the right-hand side.
The 19-year-old - fresh from his brace at the weekend - was inches away from another goal when his effort deflected onto the crossbar.
He went close with two further efforts before the half-hour mark with Lawrence and Jerome also looking to break the deadlock, but neither could find the target with shots from outside the box.
Mansfield threatened on the counter, with Neal Bishop and Oliver Khan both firing straight at Derby’s No.1 Scott Carson before the half-time interval.
The Rams struck the woodwork for the second time 10 minutes after the break, after a delightful, flowing counter-attack involving each of the newly-formed front three.
Thomas broke in-behind at speed before laying the ball off for Lawrence, who in turn found second-half substitute David Nugent, but the striker’s curled effort struck the post.
Derby continued to push but it was the home side that took the lead on 65 minutes as Graham capitalised on a stray pass from Kelle Roos as the ‘keeper looked to play out from the back.
The goal seemed to spark Derby into life and they were level just four minutes later.
Bobby Olejnik couldn’t hold on to Bradley Johnson’s fierce strike from range and when Nugent pounced, he unselfishly set up Bennett for a tap in.
Despite Derby’s dominance, it was Mansfield that struck a crucial double-blow as the game entered the last 15 minutes.
First, Angol fired home from the spot after Jayden Bogle had brought down his man in the box, before CJ Hamilton tapped home to make it 3-1.
Mansfield Town: Logan, White, Benning, Preston, Pearce, Bishop, MacDonald, Davies, Khan, Atkinson, Walker.
Substitutes: Olejnik, Mellis, Digby, Butcher, Hamilton, Angol, Sterling-James, Gibbens, Graham, Blake, Cameron.
Derby County (First-Half): Carson, Hanson, Lowe, Wisdom, Davies, Huddlestone, Thomas, Bryson, Jerome, Ledley, Lawrence.
Derby County (Second-Half): Roos, Lowe, Thomas (Bennett, 63’), Bryson (Butterfield, 72’), Lawrence (Blackman, 72’), Bogle, Keogh, Pearce, Thorne, Johnson, Nugent.
Next Up…
The Rams return to Pride Park Stadium on Saturday to take on Southampton (kick-off: 3pm), before another away trip to Nuneaton Town’s Liberty Way to face Coventry City next Wednesday (kick-off: 7:45pm).
