Derby County’s Under-21s progressed to the Fourth Round of the 2022/23 Derbyshire County Football Association Senior Challenge Cup on Tuesday night.
Pat Lyons’ side were 4-0 winners over local non-league side Graham Street Prims, who play in the East Midlands Counties Football League, at their Asterdale Sports Ground.
A relatively youthful Under-21s line-up also included Jake Rooney, Kwaku Oduroh and Osazee Aghatise, who have been in-and-around the first-team scene in recent weeks with Paul Warne’s squad stretched during a busy period of matches, to ensure they maintained their match sharpness.
An early goal from defender Rhys Brailsford put the Rams in the driving seat, while skipper for the night Rooney, George Nunn and Lennon Wheeldon added further second half strikes to seal a comfortable victory.
Brailsford struck after seven minutes as he prodded the ball over the line from close-range after Nunn’s free kick fell invitingly into his path.
Defender Max Bardell had an effort cleared off the line while Nunn also hit the woodwork in a first half which was largely dominated by the Rams.
Nunn, Brailsford and Aghatise all had chances to double Derby’s lead after the interval before Rooney eventually netted the Rams’ second of the night as he flicked in Aghatise’s corner just after the hour.
Nunn added a third with ten minutes to go as he fired the ball into the net following a corner, before substitute Wheeldon rounded off the scoring after being set up by Aghatise.
Next up for Lyons’ Under-21s is a home clash against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League Cup group stages at Loughborough University Stadium on Monday 12th December (7pm kick-off) in their final home fixture of 2022.
Derby County Under-21s: Roberts (GK), Brailsford (Moore 76), Bardell, Solomon, Oduroh, Rooney (C), Bates (Clarke 61), Kelly-Caprani (Burton 70), Ibrahim (Wheeldon 76), Aghatise, Nunn.
Substitute Not Used: Evans (GK).
