PRE-SEASON MATCH REPORT: Chesterfield 4-0 Derby County

Derby County continued their pre-season games programme ahead of the 2024/25 season with hardy a run-out against Sky Bet League Two side Chesterfield on Wednesday night.

The Rams fell to a 4-0 defeat on the road in their first friendly back on home soil since last week’s warm-weather training camp in Spain.

First half goals from Ollie Banks and Will Grigg, followed by a double from James Berry late on, saw Chesterfield claim victory in the friendly.

Recent signing David Ozoh made his first appearance in Derby colours in the second period, while youngsters Darren Robinson, Max Bardell and Alex Stepien-Iwumene also got match minutes in the second period.

Key Moments

The Rams came out of the blocks quickest with Kayden Jackson benefitting from a fast link-up between Callum Elder and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing on the left flank, but Jackson’s strike from the resulting cross was blocked inside the box.

The hosts had their first effort in the 11th minute after a snaking run by Darren Oldaker cut through the Rams' midfield, winger Ryan Colclough’s curling shot glanced wide after he made space on the left wing.

Spireites striker Armando Dobra then had two snap chances at goal denied by blocks from Eiran Cashin and Sonny Bradley in the penalty area.

Two corner deliveries from Elder looked to cause issues in front of the Spireites' goal in the 17th minute, but the hosts were able to clear their lines on both occasions.

Mendez-Laing looked to have created a clear-cut opportunity in the 20th minute, as the Rams attacker muscled off defenders to square the ball into the penalty area from the byline. But the ball couldn’t find an onrushing team-mate to tuck it away.

Josh Vickers was called into action after the half-hour mark when the Rams' goalkeeper got down well to deny a powerful low shot by Colclough.

Jackson looked likely to give Derby the lead in the 38th minute after he held off his marker to unleash a stinging driven shot towards the bottom left corner, but Spireites shot-stopper Ryan Boot was equal to it.

Banks gave Chesterfield the lead in the 40th minute with a neat chip over an onrushing Vickers found the back of the net.

The hosts' lead was doubled further two minutes later when Grigg latched onto the end of a long ball into the box to head home past the Derby goalkeeper.

Head Coach Paul Warne made one change at half time with a direct swap in defence, bringing Curtis Nelson on for Sonny Bradley.

Derby took the initiative into the second period piling on the pressure and playing higher up the pitch, in the heart of the Chesterfield defence.

A powerful free kick from Elder towards the hour mark troubled Boot in the Chesterfield goal, and in the scramble that followed Nelson got his head onto the rebound, which was punched away before Ebou Adams attempted an overhead kick, but he couldn’t connect and sent the ball wide.

The Rams rang the changes on 69 minutes, as only Nelson remained on the pitch with ten substitutions made.

Chesterfield substitute Berry made it three for the hosts with an impressive looping free kick that was well out of reach of the Rams’ substitute goalkeeper Rohan Luthra.

Berry struck again with a low strike from the edge of the penalty box in the 83rd minute to round off the scoring for Paul Cook's side.

The Teams

Derby County: Vickers (GK) (Luthra 69), Nyambe (Robinson 69), Bradley (Nelson 46), Cashin (Forsyth 69), Wilson (Barkhuizen 69), Adams (Ozoh 69), Goudmijn (Stepien-Iwumene 69), Thompson (Bardell 69), Elder (Collins 69), Jackson (Yates 69), Mendez-Laing (Blackett-Taylor 69).

On The Bench: Horton, Hobson, Akinola, Berry, Palmer, Quigley, Drummond, Jones, Rinaldo, Jessop, Mohiuddin, Cook.

What’s Next?

The Rams’ pre-season preparation continues on the road at League One side Shrewsbury Town on Saturday 27th July (3pm kick-off).