U23s Report: Rak-Sakyi winner sinks resurgent Rams

Summary

• Paddy McCarthy named an unchanged side from the team that faced Brighton on Saturday

• The hosts had early chances from distance

• Tayo Adaramola opened the scoring for the Eagles 14 minutes in with a well taken shot inside the box

• Palace doubled their lead 10 minutes later through a well taken Scott Banks volley

• Derby’s best chance of the half came through defender Grewal-Pollard 36 minutes in, though skipper Jake O’Brien blocked his goalbound effort

• Half-time: Derby County 0-2 Crystal Palace

• The hosts pulled one back through Luke Plange shortly after the restart

• Osazee Aghatise levelled it for the Rams 58 minutes in

• Jesurun Rak-Sakyi got Palace’s third with just over 15 minutes remaining

• Palace had chances to add to their lead, but held on to secure all three points

• Full-time: Derby County 2-3 Crystal Palace

Six days on from the narrow defeat against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, Paddy McCarthy’s Eagles were on the road once more to face Derby County.

The hosts were on top in the opening 10 minutes, enjoying the majority of the ball, though their two attempts on goal from distance were no issue for Palace ‘keeper Joe Whitworth.

With just under a quarter of an hour on the clock, Palace were in front after their first attack of the game. Excellent work down the left flank from Tayo Adaramola and David Omilabu saw the latter pick out an onrushing Jack Wells-Morrison who cut a dangerous ball across the box to Rob Street.

The Rams’ defenders scrambled to get the ball away from Street, though they only managed to steer it directly into the path of Adaramola - who effortlessly placed his shot inside the box into the back of the net on his weaker right foot.

Spurred on by the first goal, the Eagles looked to secure a second and did so through Scott Banks. Excellent footwork from Jesurun Rak-Sakyi saw the Palace No. 11 dart into the box, only for the ball to be cleared out to Adaramola. The Palace left-back dinked a great ball into the box for Banks to volley home from 12-yards out.

The hosts were searching for a way back into the game and nearly found one 36 minutes in. Left wing-back Will Grewal-Pollard fired a shot on goal inside the Palace box, however skipper Jake O’Brien did well to get across and block the shot before it could reach Whitworth.

Palace were in charge of most of the first-half and saw it out to go into the break two goals to the good.

The hosts started the second-half on the front foot and managed to pull a goal back five minutes into the restart through striker Luke Plange’s effort from inside the six-yard box.

Derby continued to enjoy the ball in the opening 15 minutes of the second-half and consequently managed to draw level through Osazee Aghatise. The midfielder levelled for the Rams with a well struck effort from 25-yards out - Whitworth did exceptionally well to get a hand to it, but unfortunately couldn’t keep it out.

Though the scores were level, neither side was content with a point. Both teams pushed to take the lead, and after bringing on substitutes John-Kymani Gordon and Nya Kirby after the hour mark - the momentum swung Palace’s way.

A well worked move from back to front saw O’Brien play it into Rak-Sakyi who flicked it onto an onrushing Kirby down the right flank. The midfielder squared it across the box into the path of Gordon, only for it to be cleared to Omilabu who picked out an unmarked Rak-Sakyi in the middle of the box.

The Palace winger made no mistake, slotting home his seventh goal of the season coolly past a helpless Harrison Foulkes in the Derby goal.

The Eagles pushed for yet another goal and found the ball in the back of the net moments later through Rak-Sakyi once again, though Gordon was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up as he latched on to Kirby’s parried shot.

With five minutes left on the clock, Kirby floated in a corner which O’Brien knocked on to Wells-Morrison. The Palace midfielder’s header was cleared off the line and the resulting effort from Gordon was saved by Foulkes.

After four minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle blew and Paddy McCarthy's Eagles emerged victorious. They now sit in seventh place in the Premier League 2 Division 1, with 12 points from nine games.

Derby County: Foulkes, McDonald, Bardell, Cashin, Brown, Grewal-Pollard, Matthews (Cybulski 45), Dixon, Aghatise, Stretton (Hutchinson 75), Plange.

Subs not used: Randle, Clarke, Ebiowei.

Crystal Palace: Whitworth, Robertson, Rich-Baghuelou, O’Brien, Adaramola, Wells-Morrison, M. Boateng, Omilabu, Banks (Kirby 68), Rak-Sakyi, Street (Gordon 68).

Subs not used: Freedman, Webber, D. Boateng,