Derby County’s Under 23s took the Premier League 2 Division 1 leaders right down to the wire but were undone by two quick fire goals as Everton secured a 3-2 victory at Pride Park Stadium. 

Bassala Sambou opened the scoring after a dominant start to the contest by the visitors, before Emil Riis Jakobsen struck twice in as many minutes to send the Rams into the interval a goal to the good. Darren Wassall’s men had chances to extend their lead, notably through Ikechi Anya, but the Toffees hit back, levelling matters through Liam Walsh’s penalty, before David Henen stepped off the substitutes bench to seal the victory. The result ended Derby’s five-game unbeaten run in Premier League 2, but with results going their way, they remain outside the bottom two on goal difference with three games of the season remaining. Should they continue to play how they did against Everton they have every chance of retaining their Division 1 status come the end of the campaign. Over the first 45 minutes, the Rams had to be at their defensive best and their centre backs, Calum Macdonald and Joe Bateman, generally dealt with everything that was thrown in their direction by a lively forward line that contained power and pace aplenty. They did struggle early doors to keep them at bay, though, and Sambou opened the scoring by converting Courtney Duffus’ cross from the right – that after he passed up a clear opportunity after just three minutes. From there, Derby began to find their feet at Pride Park and should have been level midway through the first 45 minutes, but the visitors were rescued by Matthew Pennington, who dug his goalkeeper, Mateusz Hewelt, out of trouble with a goalline clearance to deny Jakobsen. The key moment of this half came three minutes from interval after Mitchell, excellent all night between the sticks, denied Sambou from close range. It proved to be a vital save as the Rams, no more than two minutes later, levelled matters as Jakobsen continued his red-hot streak in front of goal in 2017, by heading in Timi Max Elsnik’s pinpoint left wing cross beyond Hewelt. They weren’t done there either.  From the kick-off, Derby chased and harried to win back possession and after Jakobsen shrugged off one of his near-by markers, the Dane leathered a shot, beyond two incoming tackles, into the back of the net, via the help of the far post. In front at the break, the Rams should have killed the current Premier League 2 leaders off in the second 45 minutes and they had their chances. Anya had the biggest of those opportunities, powering a header wide from Bennett’s teasing centre from the right when all it needed was a glance at the near post. After that, and at the other end of the pitch, Mitchell and the post came to the hosts’ rescue.  Two men stood over a free kick from 25-yards out, but it was left for Dowell’s left foot, which beat the wall, but not Mitchell, as he tipped on to the woodwork and away to safety. The Toffees threw caution to the wind shortly after that, introducing Henen to add more attacking threat and no sooner had he come on had his striking partner, Sambou, been awarded a penalty for an adjudged foul on him by Alefe Santos. Walsh, Premier League 2’s Player of the Month for February, assumed responsibility and executed his spot kick to perfection, placing the ball high to his right and out of the reach of Mitchell. And just like Derby did to Everton, the visitors repeated the same trick by scoring almost immediately after equalising as Henen converted a left-wing cross from close range to edge his side in front. The Rams pushed for a way back on level terms, but constantly denied by an Everton backline that was in no mood to surrender another goal as the Rams’ five-game unbeaten run came to an end under the Pride Park Stadium floodlights. Mitchell, Santos, Bateman, Macdonald, Lowe; Bird (Gordon, 64), Elsnik, Babos; Anya (L. Thomas, 87), Bennett, JakobsenCover, Ravas, KaricHewelt, Kenny, Robinson, Walsh, Holgate, Pennington, Dowell, Williams (Banningme, 66), Duffus (Henen, 75), Sambou (Fenney, 86), CharsleyHunt, BroadheadTweets by @ dcfcofficial