U18s Premier League North

Leeds United 7 (Christie 38’ og, Buchan 44’, Snowdon 53’ pen, Thomas 55’, Gray 61’, Bradbury 75’, 79’)

Derby County 0

Leeds: Christy (GK), Diboe, Ferguson, Buchan ©, Littlewood (Snowdon 45’), Sutcliffe, Allen, Gray, McGrath (Carole 45’), Joseph ( Bradbury 58’), Thomas. Subs not used: Baird, Spencer.

Derby: Roberts (GK), Brailsford© (Rutt 59’), Christie, Robinson, Kelly (Dixon 59’), Ibrahim, Fapetu (Nicholas- Davies 48’), Hawkins, Richards, Wheeldon, Sebagabo. Subs not used: Davidson, Price.

Venue: Thorp Arch

Booked: Ibrahim (Derby)

Leeds United Under-18s won in superb style to get three points against Derby County. The Whites came into the game off the back of four defeats, whilst Derby were in good form having won their previous two fixtures.

In the reverse fixture three weeks ago, it was the rams who came out on top with a 5-1 win. So, goals were to be expected in this game and Leeds were aiming to bounce back.

Within seconds of the kick-off, the Rams had a chance to take an early lead when the Leeds defence misjudged a back pass, presenting the ball to Ola Ibrahim, who struck his shot towards goal but a fantastic sliding block from Cuba Diboe denied the Derby winger.

After the frantic start to the fixture, both sides appeared to settle into the game and neither team could force an opening until the 35^th minute, when Ibrahim cut in from the left-hand side and released a thunderous shot that skimmed past the post.

It was the hosts who opened the scoring when Ronnie McGrath took the ball past several defenders and unleashed a left-footed shot. His strike was deflected off Eli Christie which wrong-footed the opposition keeper, going into the back of the net to give Leeds the lead.

On the stroke of half time, the Whites doubled their lead when the Derby keeper punched an in-swinging corner away, but the ball fell to the feet of Jay Buchan. The United forward curled a lovely strike into the top right corner when presented with the chance and sent his side in two goals up.

HALF TIME: Leeds United 2-0 Derby County

Leeds made two changes at the break with Joe Snowdon and Keenan Carole coming on. The two substitutes had an instant impact when Carole was brought down in the box and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Snowdon then stepped up to take the penalty and sent Alfie Roberts the wrong way to give the home side a three-goal advantage, which was fully deserved.

Minutes later, Luca Thomas added another! This time it was Mateo Joseph who tricked his way past the Derby defence and put the ball in the path of Thomas who calmly placed his effort in the bottom corner, getting his eighth goal of the season and the fourth on the day for Leeds.

The Whites looked unstoppable in the second half and at the hour mark, it was five! Connor Ferguson drove down the left wing and delivered a dangerous ball into the box to pick out Archie Gray, whose superb header looped over the opposition goalkeeper and into the net to extend what was already a convincing lead.

The chances kept coming for Leeds and with 20 minutes to go, Carole delivered a fantastic ball into the box that found substitute Lui Bradbury and he took the ball down then poked it home from close range for six.

The goals didn’t stop there! Five minutes after his first, Bradbury got his second of the game when Ferguson played a great ball through to the substitute who weaved his way past the derby defenders and slotted his shot home to make it 7-0, rounding off what had been a fantastic afternoon for the Whites.

Leeds United move up to 10^th place with the result, going above Stoke City, whilst Derby County remain in 5^th place. This emphatic victory gives Scott Gardner’s side some great momentum going into their next fixture against Sunderland.

FULL TIME: Leeds United 7-0 Derby County