Coming into Tuesday lunchtime’s tie off the back of consecutive 6-1 wins in the league, we emerged from a physical battle at the start to lead 2-0 at the break via Joel Vidal-Philbert’s brace and added a third shortly after the restart through Ollie Boast.
But after being in complete control heading into the last 10 minutes having hit the woodwork three times and had Phoenix Offiah’s effort ruled out for offside, we conceded twice in quick succession to Remi Harvey and substitute Zayne Blake and had to dig in for the remainder of the contest to ensure we put three early points on the board in Group G.
Challenges flew in from the off at the Rams’ training ground but we stood firm and hit the bar twice inside the opening 12 minutes, Boast with a header from Vidal-Philbert’s cross and Muslika with a trademark free-kick. Muslika was left frustrated after cutting inside and curling wide before firing a good delivery from the hard-working Conall Glancy over the top, but Derby still carried a threat and could have taken the lead when Theo Olofingbuaro missed the target at the back post after Mikel Jack had tipped away an initial delivery into the centre.
We persevered, though, and after another Muslika set-piece was saved by Spencer O’Neill, we forged ahead just before the half-hour mark when Glancy’s low ball in from the right was parried low by O’Neill, with Vidal-Philbert on hand to drill home. The left winger doubled his tally three minutes before half-time with an angled shot that took a deflection off right-back Darnelle Thomas after good work in the build-up by Glancy and Muslika, and we seemingly put the game out of the hosts’ reach with a third goal three minutes into the second period, Boast getting the final touch as Ollie Salter’s drive in from the right deflected goalwards off Derby defender Oliver Lukic.
Toju Wellspring’s first-time shot struck the base of the far post, Courtney Coffi Smith tested O’Neill on his line and fellow substitute Offiah had a goal ruled out for offside as we continued in the driving seat but as the rain clouds closed in over the East Midlands, we allowed the Rams a lifeline, Harvey blasting a rising shot through a crowded 18-yard box with 10 minutes to go after a ball in from the left wasn’t dealt with, before Blake turned home Kieran Clarke’s cross from the other side two minutes later to ensure it was game on for the latter stages. Despite those setbacks, we held our nerve and goalkeeper Jack, who had saved well from Olofingbuaro and Blake earlier in the second half, wasn’t really tested as we got off to a winning start in the competition, with further group stage matches at home to Fulham and away to Newcastle still to come.
‘Pretty crazy at the end’
Under-18s Coach Jamie Carr said lessons need to be learned after we allowed Derby to pull it back to 3-2. He said afterwards: “The initial stages of the game were really competitive, Derby really were up for it in the first 20 or 30 minutes and it was a competitive test for us, it was tough, but credit to the boys because we rode out that initial storm before managing to get some control of the game, then eventually started to show a bit more quality towards the back end of the first half.
“Overall it was a bit of a mixed first half and then it was pretty crazy at the end of the second. We need to review that period of the game and try to make some improvements, both from a game management point of view but also from a decision-making point of view – that’s a key element, around the importance of making the right decision at the right time just to make sure you stay focused and treat the game the way it needs to be treated.”
Line-up
Spurs: Jack, Sandiford (Thomas 78), Jobling, Hanson (Olajide 60), Tingey (c), Wellspring, Salter (Agyekum 78), Glancy (Coffi Smith 67), Boast (Offiah 60), Muslika, Vidal-Philbert. Substitutes (not used): Doran, Kabongolo.