An astounding spectacle at the Impact as Derby County Under 21s beat Alfreton Town 5-3 on penalties to progress to the semi-final of the Derbyshire Senior Cup, after the match finished 5-5 over 90 minutes.
Derby County Under 21s 5 - (Taylor-Hart 21, 88, 89, Lo-Everton 26, Robinson 90+5)
Alfreton Town 5 - (Dearle 32, Denton 52, 63, Salam 60, Hobson 73)
Referee - James Oldham
Attendance - 142
Star Man - Kido Taylor-Hart (Derby Under 21s)
Derby led the game by two goals to nil in the first half, but a flurry of Alfreton goals either side of the break saw the Reds lead 5-2 with three minutes left to play.
Alfreton appeared to be home and dry, however, the Reds managed to ship three goals in eight minutes, and Derby midfielder Darren Robinson’s header sent the game straight to penalty kicks.
Billy Heath’s side was much changed from the win away at Curzon Ashton at the weekend, but they didn’t take long to get on the front foot.
The Reds tried to play to their strengths against this young Derby side and looked to pile crosses into the box and make the most of set-piece opportunities early on.
The Young Rams’ quality was clear to see in possession, and they controlled the ball very well in stages in the early knockings. However, they struggled to carve out clear cut chances and to deal with Alfreton’s direct style.
Adam Lund’s signature long-throw caused problems throughout, and no surprise when he had all six feet and seven inches of Tom Denton in the box to aim for. He had an early header acrobatically kept out by Harry Evans.
Derby ‘keeper Evans then made three more fine stops to deny Danny Preston’s low free-kick, another Denton header and a point blank headed effort from Bailey Hobson, created by a brilliant piece of wing-play by James Oliver.
Denton then had a low effort from the edge of the box cleared off the line by Northern Ireland under-19 international Robinson.
The deadlock was finally broken against the run of play by Derby winger Kido Taylor-Hart, on loan from Arsenal. He danced to the edge of the area before hitting a low shot which squirmed past Alfreton’s reserve keeper Jake Askew to give the Rams the lead on 21 minutes.
Derby doubled their lead five minutes later as Billy Vigar got to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Sonny Lo-Everton to finish accurately in the left hand corner.
Alfreton pulled a goal back on 32 minutes, as Lund feigned a long throw but threw the ball short to Oliver, who set for Lund to deliver an inch-perfect ball onto the head of new defensive recruit, Peter Dearle, to score on his debut.
The Reds missed a couple of good chances to level before the break, as Oliver had a close range shot well kept out by Evans and Lund headed an effort just over from a corner.
Alfreton’s high press kept forcing mistakes from the Derby back-line, and Alfreton’s equaliser was a product of this. A simple pass put out of play because of good pressure from Hobson, and Lund was presented with another chance to hurl a throw into the box.
Panic ensued again in the Derby area, and the ball fell kindly for Denton to poke home his first of the game on 52 minutes.
Alfreton were then presented the chance to go ahead eight minutes later, as Dom Smith was clumsily brought down by a Derby defender inside the box. Ahmed Salam picked up the ball and stroked it home with conviction. 3-2.
Another incredible long throw from Lund found the head of Denton with pinpoint accuracy, and his looping header put Alfreton two to the good on 63 minutes.
Oliver, formerly of Sheffield United and Bournemouth, looked a constant threat down the right-hand side. He had a hand in Alfreton’s fifth goal with a great bit of trickery to beat his man and stand up another cross to Bailey Hobson, who finished with aplomb.
This left the scores at 5-2 with just 17 minutes left to play. Job done, surely?
Derby looked to the impressive Taylor-Hart (pictured here debriefing after the game
with Derby's Head of Youth Development Darren Wassall) to try and fashion a way back into the game. He made a jinking run off the right before unleashing a low effort which was well saved by Askew.
Oliver then had a chance to put the game beyond all doubt, but his close-range effort was blocked before the rebound was blazed over by Conor Branson.
Taylor-Hart then did provide a moment of magic as he hit a low shot into the far corner on the right-hand side of the box to give the Young Rams some hope for a comeback on 88 minutes.
The England youth international then completed a wonderful hat trick just a minute later, nutmegging Conor Branson on the halfway line before gliding past two more players and finishing hard and low from the edge of the area. They couldn’t, could they?
Deep into injury time, Alfreton get hit on the counter-attack and Oliver makes a scything challenge to halt Derby’s progress, collecting a booking and giving the Rams a free kick in a dangerous position.
This free-kick goes into the box and finds the head of Darren Robinson, whose headed effort clips the post on its way in. Five minutes of stoppage played with the scores now at 5-5!
Referee James Oldham put his whistle to his lips to signal that Belper Town’s Derbyshire Senior Cup semi-final opponents were to be decided by a penalty shootout.
The shootout finished 5-3 to the Rams with Derby’s Harry Evans the hero as he kept out Salam’s shootout penalty, after Salam had beaten him from the spot in the 90.
Dajaune Brown scored the winning spot kick as he brought to an end an unbelievable night under the lights. An excellent example of exciting local football!
Derby Under 21s will face Belper Town at Christchurch Meadow on the 14th of March as they battle it out for a place in the final of the Derbyshire Senior Cup.
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