Derby County’s Under-18s fell to a 4-0 home defeat to Manchester United in the U18 Premier League North, having played the majority of the game with ten men.
Eli Christie was dismissed in the 20th minute for a professional foul on United’s captain Martin Svidersky, and United capitalised on the extra man with goals from Noah Emeran, Omari Forson and a second-half brace from Charlie McNeill.
The visitors were quickest out of the blocks in the opening stages, with Charlie Wellens drilling wide of Alfie Roberts’ far post from the edge of the area.
Roberts was called upon again shortly after as Willy Kambwala’s header was goal bound from a left-sided corner, with the Young Rams stopper denying the French centre-half.
The Rams had an opportunity a good opportunity of their own inside the opening quarter of an hour, as Ola Ibrahim fed Kaide Gordon’s run on the left, but Gordon fired low past the far post.
The game turned on its head in the 20th minute as Svidersky raced through the midfield and was brought down by Christie as he looked to go one-on-one with Roberts, leaving the referee with no doubt but to dismiss the central defender.
United took advantage of the extra man eight minutes later, with Svidersky’s strike deflecting into the path of the open Emeran, and he made no mistake from close range to give the visitors a lead.
The visitors almost doubled their lead moments after, but a crucial challenge from Dylan Williams denied McNeill a clean run on goal.
Derby weathered the storm in more ways than one, as the downpour begun at a blustery Moor Farm, and almost found themselves level going into the break.
Osazee Aghatise unleashed a superb, curling strike which cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar, and despite appeals that the ball had crossed the line from the Rams, no goal was given.
Nine minutes into the second-half and United doubled their lead through Forson, who was set by first goalscorer, Emeran, with the youngster making no mistake from 10 yards as he slotted into Roberts’ corner.
On the hour mark, and United all-but sealed the victory, with Forson providing McNeill with his first of the afternoon, as the centre forward powered home from inside the area.
Derby’s youngsters didn’t roll over, however, as Jack Rogers looked to spearhead some forward moves, and was denied a solo effort by United stopper Dermot Mee.
United added a fourth in the 73rd minute, as McNeill got his second in 13 minutes as Emeran provided his second assist following another neat cutback from the left side.
Derby County Under-18s: Roberts, Bardell (c), Grewal-Pollard, Williams, Christie, Jinkinson, Rogers, Aghatise, Thompson (Borkovic 34’), Ibrahim, Gordon (Brailsford 74’).
Subs not used: Randle, Aideyan, Sebagabo.
Manchester United Under-18s: Mee, Hughes (Jurado 65’), Pye (Garnacho 74’), Hardley, Kambwala, Svidersky, Wellens, Iqbal (Hansen-Aaroen 66’), McNeill, Forson, Emeran.
Subs not used: Guadagno, Savage.
