A spirited display from a youthful Town side wasn’t enough to take the points in Central League action this afternoon, as the Mariners were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Derby County in an eventful clash.
Town started brightly and took the lead after 16 minutes following a mix-up at the back from the visitors.
Danny Rose was quickest to react, dispossessing the Ram’s goalkeeper Jack Thompson and poking home from close range to give the Mariners an early advantage.
Derby grew into the game and found an equaliser nine minutes before the break, when a low cut-back from the right found Lennon Wheeldon, who finished calmly past Charlie Casper to bring things level.
Just three minutes later, the visitors turned the game on its head. A deep cross from the left was met by Derby’s Wheeldon, who nodded home from close range to put the Rams ahead at the interval and grab his second.
HALF TIME
At half-time, Academy forward Elliott Smith was introduced in place of Zak Gilsenan in a pre-planned change, as Town looked to find a route back into the game.
Casper was called into action early in the second half, producing a smart save to deny Derby’s Justin Oguntolu from distance.
Town came close to levelling the score with 20 minutes remaining when a Clarke Oduor corner was met by the rising Neo Eccleston, whose powerful header forced a strong save from the County goalkeeper.
However, with eight minutes to play, Derby extended their lead through a quick counter-attack — with second half substitute Oguntolu curling a precise effort into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box.
The Mariners continued to push forward and were rewarded in stoppage time when Jude Soonsup-Bell capitalised on a loose back pass, lashing the ball into the top corner to make it 3-2.
Despite a late surge for an equaliser, Town were unable to find a third as Derby held on for the win in a competitive and well-contested affair.
Town: Casper, Eccleston, Lavelle, Graham, Jalloh, Oduor, Hatton, Gilsenan (46 Smith), Amaluzor, Soonsup-Bell, Rose
UTM
