Derby County Under-23s were forced to settle for a point after two late goals from Arsenal saw a 2-2 draw at Meadow Park to begin the new year for the young Rams.
Jahmal Hector-Ingram scored both for the Rams and brought his tally to 16 goals this season after joining the club in the summer. His first came from the penalty spot just ahead of half time after he was brought down in the area. He then doubled the lead ten minutes after the break when he struck from inside the area when he received a superb ball down the pitch from youngster Festy Ebosele.
The Gunners pulled a goal back with ten minutes to play with substitute Sam Greenwood making an instant impact off the bench. Their second came in the final minute when Matt Smith’s effort bounced off the post and deflected of Liam Thompson into the back of the net.
The Rams started off bright and were the first to get a look in at the opposition goal. Hector-Ingram put Mark McGuiness under pressure by the corner flag and won the ball back before driving into the box and rattling his effort from a tight angle off the near post.
It was Derby who continued on the front-foot with Ebosele next to be a nuisance for the home side. He young full-back win the ball back in the Rams’ half on the right flank before he burst up the pitch only to get fouled on the edge of the box. Cameron Cresswell then drilled the free-kick into the wall.
Arsenal soon grew into the game and called upon Jonny Mitchell to keep the game level. Matt Smith sent a ball over the top to Folarin Balogun who went one-on-one with the Rams ‘keeper, who acrobatically dived to palm the effort away.
Just two minutes later, Arsenal looked dangerous again when the ball broke to Tyreece John-Jules on the edge of the area who curled his effort just wide of the target. The Gunners’ forward was inches wide five minutes later from inside the area when he was played through by Balogun.
Back down the other end, on the half-hour mark, the woodwork denied the Rams for the second time. This time, Archie Brown whipped in a cross to Alex Babos at the far post who struck the post.
Derby’s goal came with just four minutes to go in the half when Hector-Ingram was hauled down in the box by Harrison Clarke. The frontman stepped up to the spot and calmly powered his effort straight down the middle of the goal to give the Rams the lead.
That lead was almost doubled in injury time before the break when a free-kick from the left of the area was half-cleared to Kornell McDonald outside the area. His low effort sent Arseal’s keeper the wrong way, but his foot managed to stop the shot into the path of Hector-Ingram. His close-range effort hit the near post before the flag was waved for offside.
The hosts looked to double their lead immediately after the break when Nathan Tormey created space in the box before shooting on target, but Ethan Wassall was there to make an important clearance off the line.
The good defending was backed up down the other end and the Rams had doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half. Ebosele sent a brilliant ball down from deep in the Derby half to find Hector-Ingram. The striker burst into the left side of the area before rifling his shot that bounce into the back of the net.
He came close to a hattrick with 20 minutes to go when he turned in front of goal before firing just wide of the post. Immediately after, Ebosele took aim from inside the area sending his effort into the hands of Karl Hein.
Arsenal pulled a goal back with ten minutes to play with Greenwood supplying the goal seconds after coming on. From the hosts’ goal-kick, they worked the ball down the pitch to Balogun, who crossed in to Greenwood to fire into an open goal with Mitchell closing in on Balogun.
They continued to apply the pressure and levelled the score in the final minute when Smith’s effort rattled off the post and bounced off young midfielder Thomson and into the back of the net.
Arsenal: Hein, Olowu, Bola (C), Smith, McGuinness (Clarke, 10), Medley, McEneff, Olayinka, Blogun, John-Jules (Cottrell, 61), Tormey
Unused Subs: Omole, Hillson, Greenwood
Derby County: Mitchell, Ebosele, McDonald, J. Brown, Wassall (C), Minkley, Cresswell, Thompson, Hector-Ingram (Charles, 90), Babos (Stretton 90), A. Brown
Unused Subs: Barnes, Cashin
