Rams' raid ends 12-match unbeaten run

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Under-21s' fate in Premier League Cup is out of their hands after home defeat to Derby County.

Bruce Talbot

2022-12-19T21:05:00Z

Ben Jackson.

Our men’s under-21s will have to wait before knowing if they have progressed to the last 16 of the Premier League Cup after they suffered a first defeat in 13 matches against Academy and non-league teams on Monday night.

A 2-1 loss at home to Derby County means the Rams have definitely qualified for the knockout stages.

Albion will only join them if the final game in Group B between QPR and Bournemouth next month ends in a draw. A positive result either way will knock us out.

Derby were deserved winners. Goals from Ola Ibrahim and Osazee Aghatise came either side of Benicio Baker-Boaitey’s smartly-taken equaliser just before half-time but it was a night when Albion lacked their usual fluency and struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.

Samy Chouchane.

Albion struggled to make any headway for much of the first half. Derby pressed energetically and the hosts couldn’t get into any rhythm, and it was no surprise when the visitors went in front after 27 minutes.

They had already gone close on two occasions. In the 13th minute Ola Ibrahim drove just wide from 20 yards and when keeper James Beadle gave the ball away Albion were fortunate that Lennon Wheeldon rolled his shot just past the post.

Benicio Baker-Boaitey made five first-team appearances this season.

But Derby deservedly took the lead when Ibrahim drove a low shot on the turn just inside the right-hand upright after a good move down the left.

Albion began to warm to their task towards the end of the half but it was still a surprise when they equalised from their first shot on target in the 44th minute. The goal owed much to a surging run down the right by Sam Packham who then cut inside and picked out Baker-Boaitey on the left-hand edge of the box. He brought the ball under control before firing low into the bottom corner.

The hosts might even have gone in front before the break but Marcus Ifill’s header from Casper Nilsson’s far-post cross bounced down and wide of the upright.

Baker-Boaitey went close to putting Albion ahead but dragged his shot just wide of the left-hand post in the 51st minute but Derby still carried the greater threat.

Luca Barrington gets away from his marker.

Beadle had to be alert to deny Aghatise at close quarters but the Derby striker wasn’t to be denied and he made it 2-1 in the 69th minute. Substitute Charlie Penman’s pass was intercepted by Jake Rooney and the Derby skipper’s forward pass put Aghatise in and he shrugged off Penman’s challenge and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Aghatise fired wide on the counter-attack and substitute George Nunn was brilliantly denied by Beadle when he seemed certain to sweep home a third goal for the visitors.

Albion pushed for an equaliser and Ben Jackson headed wide from a good position in the final minute but it wasn’ to be and our hopes of progressing are now out of our hands.

Albion: Beadle, Packham (Penman 45), Tsoungui (Everitt 60), Jackson, Nilsson, Chouchane, Spong © (Peupion 60), Samuels, Barrington, Ifill, Baker-Boaitey (Wilson 73). Subs: Cahill.