Mark Jackson’s side travelled to the Loughborough University Stadium on Friday evening, to take on Derby County U23s in their latest Premier League 2 Division One clash.
In an entertaining first half, it was Derby who struck the first goal of the evening and it came inside the opening 10 minutes. The lively Osazee Aghatise found space in the box and fired low, beating keeper at the far post.
It wasn’t long before the Whites were level though. Crysencio Summerville went on a long run, beating many of the opposition defence with his quick feet before firing low and powerfully into the bottom corner.
However, Derby then hit back shortly after. Connor Dixon was the player to put his side back in front, when he finished off Will Grewal-Pollard’s low cross, high into the net.
Both teams then exchanged efforts on goal, with Harrison Foulkes between the posts for home side and Kristoffer Klaesson for the Whites being forced into saves.
Just after the half an hour mark, Leeds did get back level. Jack Jenkins went on an excellent run this time before slotting through Sam Greenwood, who composed himself before finishing superbly to level the scores once again.
That was to be that before the break and the teams went in all square.
HALF TIME: Derby County 2-2 Leeds United
Jackson made a double change at the interval. Charlie Cresswell and Summerville were replaced by Joe Gelhardt and Liam McCarron. Derby made a change of their own, as Marko Borkovic entered the action in place of Liam Thompson.
Klaesson and Foulkes were both busy at the start of the second period. Aghatise - who had netted in the first half - was looking the most dangerous in the second. He forced Klaesson to save twice, whereas Amari Miller forced a solid save at the other end.
After some strong pressure, but in what was still a relatively even match, it took a moment of magic from a substitute to get the next goal. Gelhardt ran towards the Derby penalty area, skipped inside, beat two before smashing left-footed into the bottom corner giving the ‘keeper no chance.
The home side then went on the offensive and looked to get back level in the match, but that left gaps in their defence. Gelhardt went close again when looking to expose those, whilst Miller continued his battle with Foulkes between the posts for the Rams.
With three minutes of stoppage time announced, Gelhardt had continued to cause issues for the defence and that resulted in Derby being reduced to 10 players. When the striker looked to race through on goal, Rams captain Eiran Cashin pulled him down and collected his second yellow and subsequent red.
FULL TIME: Derby County 2-3 Leeds United
Venue: Loughborough University Stadium
Attendance: 249
Referee: Scott Tallis
Booked: Dixon, Cashin (Derby) Greenwood (Leeds)
Sent-off: Cashin (Derby)
Premier League 2 Division One
Derby County 2 (Aghatise 9’, Dixon 23’)
Leeds United 3 (Summerville 18’, Greenwood 33’, Gelhardt 72’)
Derby XI: Foulkes, Bardell, Grewal-Pollard, Thompson, Solomon, Cashin (c), Thompson (Borkovic 45’), Perez De Gracia, Cybulski, Dixon (Matthews 75’), Aghatise (Richards 85’) Subs not used: Barnes, Clarke.
Leeds XI: Klaesson (GK), Drameh, Moore, Jenkins, Cresswell (c) (McCarron 45’), Kenneh, Summerville (Gelhardt 45’), Bate, Greenwood, McKinstry, Miller (McGurk 87’). Subs not used: Van Den Heuvel, Sutcliffe.