Derby County U21 1-4 Brentford U21 (Premier League Cup Group Stages)
A fourth game in as many nights has the Mrs so annoyed she's banned me from going to work tomorrow, I should be at Ilkeston v Worksop on Saturday afternoon but she's made alternative plans for me this weekend so I'm going to enjoy tonight as a last hoorah, a trip to Matlock to watch Derby and Brentford in the Premier League Cup.
Young Derby have done ok since I last watched them lose against Bournemouth in the opening round of this competition, after a 3-2 loss against the Cherries at Alfreton in September they beat Brentford by a single goal in October and did Chelsea 4-3 last month to currently sit second in Group I.
Brentford are actually unbeaten in seven since losing to Derby, it'll be my first viewing of the Bees B team as they are appropriately called.
Matlock is under an hour's drive so after dropping the dog off at the in-laws, I'm battling the Friday evening traffic, across the A610 out of Nottingham and up the M1, past Alfreton at J28 and through the back roads into the Derbyshire Peak District where the skies are black and unpolluted, rain just starting to come down as the wind of Storm Darragh picks up.
I'm at Matlock for 6pm and have time to walk around the town, half contemplating grabbing a pint or some fish and chips, the Christmas market is supposed to be on but it must be a daytime thing as all the stalls are shut, so I instead walk into the Proctor Cars Stadium to see what they have to eat and drink, as I walk through the turnstile I ask "is the pitch ok" knowing that it's prone to postponement in these parts at this time of year, to the reply "tonight should be ok, but they'll be no chance tomorrow" for Matlock's Northern Premier league game with Ashton United.
The Venue
I love Matlock. Growing up as a kid we frequented the town on bank holiday trips to the Derbyshire Dales, Matlock Bath is England's inland seaside resort with arcades and ice cream parlours, it just feels right for me here, homely, nostalgic, stone terraced houses up the hills with smoke pouring out their chimneys, it's real England with a historical past, stunning scenery on the doorstep, a beautiful part of the country, significant in the industrial revolution, the Causeway Lane stadium is actually in the heart of the town, walkable from the centre and the main shopping high street, not many football grounds are this close to the action, the only downside it's never that easy to park around here.
Inside you feel it's a homely old football ground. It's a place in many groundhoppers top tens, the modern blue seated Twigg Stand sits tall on half way, but opposite is a lovely old terrace. Propped up by posts it runs at an angle down the side of the pitch, the back row has benches for seats, only two or three rows high, the goal to the left has a small roofed terrace, behind that, a new apartment block has been recently built, to the right, open ended, the ground shares it's borders with the local cricket club.
I'm walking around to the tea bar for a bite to eat, a brew and a Cornish pasty for £3.50, I sit down on the front row of the Twigg Stand, Derby manager Jake Buxton chatting to his fellow coaches as both sets of players warm up, the rain starting to come down, the pitch holding firm, only just though, as rumours from some supporters suggest the game might not complete if the wet weather continues. There's a couple of groundsmen with a wheelbarrow and sand doing what they can to soak up the surface water with their pitch forks and spades tucked into the soggy grass.
I take a walk to the opposite side of the ground and sit on the bench at the back row of the stand, the players warming up in front of me as a Derby Coach hears the music played from the PA system. "Wet Wet Wet" he calls out. "No the pitch is fine" replies a player, obviously oblivious (and too young) to acknowledge the 90s Scottish pop group singing through the speakers in the background.
I'm joined by some scouts who sit next to me, it's like a mother's meeting, five middle aged men eating pies and slurping tea whilst talking about the matches they've been to this week, "how you doing" one says to another "I'm at Matlock on a Friday night, how do you think" is the reply.
The Game
By now Storm Darragh is kicking up a fuss, wind and rain making for an horrible night, on the plus side the tempo is high as nobody likes standing around in this. But Derby don't learn their lessons from the last time I saw them? Playing out from the back on a wet, windy, soddened surface, their goalkeeper Price decides to float a ball up across to his right back but kicks it out directly for a corner. "I thought I'd seen it all" i mumble as a scout looks at me shaking his head. "I don't get all this playing it out from the back" is his reply.
Moments later, Brentford knock their corner short, then to the edge of the area, Ethan Brierley collects, takes a touch, curls home wonderfully right footed. "That's the result of playing out from the back" I respond.
It's a brilliant goal from a top player, as Brentford look the better side, stronger and quicker across the park, I notice a fella hobbling past, a face I recognise, but I'll wait until half time to go and see him.
Brentford are good value but it's hardly a pretty game, not helped by the awful weather, Derby have moments as the wonderfully gifted Cruz Allen smartly beats his marker to pull back a ball inside the area, the danger is snuffed out but Allen's quick feet open eyes of those around me. Word is the scouts are indifferent about him, 'not quick enough, not strong enough', is one response, but he's a player with talent, a touch of the Gascoigne's in the way he plays, which at 17 years old can't be a bad start.
Another player eyed up is Keilen Robinson, Derby's left footed centre half, "that's his party trick" one scout says, as Robinson cross field passes left footed, but the defender doesn't have a great night against combative opposition. 'Not nasty enough' is one thing critiqued against him.
Instead, star of the show is Brierley. He gets Brentford's second as he arrives late to finish from close range. He's a midfielder who started his career at Rochdale. Now 21, he's played a few games in League One and Two, but since moving to Brentford in 2023 hasn't featured under Thomas Frank, he looks like a player who does things simple, one and two touch, he passes and follows his pass for a return, he plays the way he's facing and he has a knack for scoring goals, a little bit like Frank Lampard "he needs to get a loan move" one scout says aloud.
The Score
At half time I take a walk over to the guy that hobbled past earlier. "Kwabana" I call out, as we hug it out after I remind him who I was. We used to play football together for a couple of seasons twenty years ago, his son Adisa is playing centre half for Derby tonight. "I had a feeling it was your lad" I tell him "you're the only Osayande I know".
He's upbeat as he introduces me to his other son who's at Rushall Olympic, "what's with the injury" I ask him. "I did it playing football" he said, he must be fifty but still has the same hunger for the game, unfortunately the bones and body these days, a little more brittle.
I wish him well after discussing his own sons chances in the game, 18 year old Adisa is bit of a Rolls Royce of a centre half, you probably won't notice him because he doesn't make mistakes, seems to tick through games at ease and keeps it simple, knowing his limitations, he'll find out his destiny in the new year, hoping to get a contract but his dad is realistic about the possibilities that may arise. "What will be will be" he says.
The second half is much of the same again, Brentford buzzing around the Derby lads who give it their all to get back in the match, but the Londoners look too strong, one big physical presence is left sided wing back Tony Yogane, he's got the beating of Derby's right back and runs at him at will. Brierley has passed Yogane the ball on a couple of occasions and looks for a return. "Tony, Tony, set me" he shouts. "Tony's not listening" a Scout says, as Yogane instead cuts in to shoot over.
Moments later it's same again, "Tony, Tony" Brierley is calling for the ball. "He's not listening again" the scout beside me says, this time Yogane goes on the outside and is hacked down. "Tony's won a penalty" is the Verdict.
Brierley steps up and slots home low to grab his hat trick, before Eames late on grabs Derby a consolation, by now the Scouts have left to beat the traffic (what traffic?), an even later goal by Isaac Holland round things off nicely, the right sided player arriving at the back post unmarked to tap home a low centred cross, a good night's work for Brentford who leapfrog Derby in the Premier League Cup Group I table.
The Stars
Whilst Ethan Brierley was star of the show and a player who looks capable of playing at least in the football league right now, I liked the Brentford backline and defensively they were solid, Benjamin Arthur an England U19 international signed from Peterborough looked athletic and strong at centre back whilst right back Benjamin Franklin, a Nigerian U20 international, was very impressive, not putting a foot wrong, he shown good defensive reading with a couple of timely interventions, pace and power too.
Derby weren't at it so much, their Welsh teen star Cruz Allen not having the best night in conditions not really suited to how he likes to play, Johnson Osong perhaps their most productive player out wide, he switched from left to right in the second half and improved the longer the game went on, running at his opponent and getting crosses into the box.
The Verdict
Brentford look good, they are certainly a club in a good place right now and they have decent reserves in waiting, I'm hoping Ethan Brierley gets his chance to show the first team what he's made of soon, if not for someone, somewhere on loan, Championship at least would be his level, whilst Frederick and Yogane excite me in the defensive department, I would love to see them play first team football somewhere too.
Derby are not as far off as that scoreline suggested, the conditions perhaps playing their part, weak in the full back areas, I don't rate their goalkeeper but they have creative players in attacking positions and a good spine through their side. I do believe they have one or two hidden gems in their young squad, a couple have been loaned out recently, so I'll keep keeping my eye on how they progress, as they continue their football education.
The Teams
Derby County: Harley Price, Isaac Gordon (Morten Spencer 54), Tristan Gill, Marsel Tola, Adisa Osayande, Keilen Robinson, Jack Perry, Cruz Allen (Owen Eames 65), Emmanuel Ilesanmi (Justin Oguntolu 54), Niall McAndrew (Darren Robinson 54), Johnson Osong.
Brentford: Reggie Rose, Isaac Holland, Tony Yogane, Kim Ji-Soo, Benjamin Frederick, Benjamin Arthur, Ben Krauhaus (Ethan Laidlaw 76), Ethan Brierley, Ashley Hay, Riley Owen, Iwan Morgan (Max Dickov 84).
7:00pm Kick Off. Friday 6th December 2024, Causeway Lane, Matlock (att 300).
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