3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-21s were beaten 5-1 by Middlesbrough at Moor Farm Training Ground on Friday afternoon.
It looked as though the young Rams could be on course for their first Premier League 2 - Division 2 win of the season when Kido Taylor-Hart fired them into the lead from the penalty spot after 37 minutes.
But a goal either side of half-time from Middlesbrough forward Jeremy Sivi dashed those hopes, before substitutes Law McCabe and Ajay Matthews made sure of the points for the visitors, who saw Sivi complete his hat-trick late on.
In a first half short of chances, each team’s goalkeeper was only called into action once during the opening half-hour. Harry Evans made a solid stop to keep Sivi out on five minutes, before a fine save from Henry Popple denied Max Bardell the opener.
Pat Lyons’ side - again featuring James Chester as he works towards full fitness - would find a breakthrough on 37 minutes, however.
Taylor-Hart looked certain to lose possession when surrounded deep in the Middlesbrough half, but he wriggled away from a host of defenders to drive into the box before being brought down. He picked himself up to send Popple the wrong way from 12 yards.
The lead would be short-lived, though, with George Gitau afforded time to cross from the right, allowing him to pick out Sivi to head home well.
The two combined again early in the second half, this time the dangerous striker heading back across goal to double his tally.
Taylor-Hart’s corners almost led to an equaliser on two occasions for Derby but, shortly after a tremendous reaction save kept Bardell out, substitute Rhys Brailsford headed wide when unmarked in the Boro box.
With the young Rams chasing the game late on, Middlesbrough looked to hit them on the break and had joy three times in the final 11 minutes.
Substitutes McCabe and Matthews, the latter just five minutes after his introduction, left Evans picking the ball out of his net, before Sivi beat the offside trap to lift over the young keeper and consign Lyons’ side to a second heavy defeat of the week.
Derby County Under-21s: Evans (GK), Oduroh (Brailsford 29'), Bardell (C) (Fapetu 72'), Chester (Grewal-Pollard 61'), Solomon, Kelly-Caprani, Bates, Hawkins, Taylor-Hart, Davidson, Vigar.
Substitutes not used: Roberts (GK), Gough
Middlesbrough Under-21s: Popple (GK), Gitau, Collins, Sykes, Bilongo, Woolston, Simpson, Stott (Whelan 87'), Sivi, Fletcher (McCabe 72'), John (Matthews 78').
Substitutes not used: Fisher (GK), Lindo.
