On a cold evening in Loughborough, it seemed the gameplan was to soak pressure and then counter-attack our opponents. Derby bossed the opening 10 minutes of the game and they had an effort which crashed off the bar.

We responded by going a goal up through Jude Soonsup-Bell, who scored a wonder goal. We could have doubled our lead first through George McEachran and then through Dion Rankine as they both missed great opportunities.

We were almost quickly regretting those misses as on the stroke of half-time, a free header in the box was miscued horribly wide by Derby striker Bartosz Cybulski. He later would take his opportunity to make amends as he smashed a loose ball which beat Teddy Sharman-Lowe on his near post.

A minute later Aghatise after being found by Louie Watson, calmly dispatched to make it 2-1. Our young Blues suffered yet another blow as we failed to stop a darting run in the middle of the park. Danger man Cybulski took a shot which found its way into the corner of the net after a wicked deflection.

The game ended 3-1 and leaves us at risk of falling closer to the relegation zone after this weekend’s PL2 fixtures.

Team news

Two changes due to fitness from the side that started against Brighton just seven days ago, as Alfie Gilchrist and Harvey Vale both were not fit enough to make the squad with Dion Rankine and Joe Haigh coming into the starting line-up.

Ted Sharman-Lowe also came into the line-up for Lucas Bergstrom as he returned to PL2 action following an extended period of time out.

Derby’s threat

It was the Rams who were looking to take a stranglehold on the game. It was comfortable possession from the home side as they looked to take the game to our young Blues. Following a number of half-chances in the opening moments of the game, the Rams almost took the lead.

Isaac Hutchinson, after a fantastic piece of skill to beat Lewis Baker, unleashed a fierce left-footed shot that came crashing off the bar with Sharman-Lowe beaten. Hutchinson’s effort underlined the Derby dominance in the opening moments of the game, a reminder of the threat that Andy Myers alluded to in his preview.

Jude wonderstrike

In literally our first attack of the game, a lofted ball in behind from Hall was picked up by Soonsup-Bell. Having not scored in 10 PL2 games, it would have been understandable for him to wait for support. Instead the 18-year-old cut inside sharply and fired our boys ahead with a world-class shot. Totally against the run of play but Myers and the team will not complain about that.

End to end

We were finding joy with our lofted balls as another ball in behind the Derby backline from Lewis Baker put George McEachran through on goal. He rushed his effort, but it somehow found its way to Rankine who was at the back-post but pressure from Derby’s defenders resulted in Rankine blasting over the bar.

Louie Sibley showed his experience and guile as a wriggled away from some challenges and fired a dangerous effort which Sharman-Lowe dealt with.

The home side were showing their frustrations with two yellow cards in the first half. We almost doubled our lead just before half-time, as a lovely counter-attack allowed Hall to deliver a perfect low cross into the box, to which Soonsup-Bell if not for a perfect tackle would have had his and our second of the game.

There was still enough time for Derby to create their biggest opening since the 11th minute of the game. A pinpoint cross into the area found Cybulski but he mistimed his free header, harmlessly placing it wide.

The second-half started very quietly as both sides failed to create any clear-cut chances. Soonsup-Bell did have a claim for a penalty waved away.With the hour mark approaching, the game took a turn for the worse for our young Blues.

Quickfire blows

Similar to our goal in the first half, the home side got their goal and brought themselves level. The experienced Baker was caught on the ball by Derby’s press and a quick-fire shot from Cybulski beat Sharman-Lowe at his near post.

Our young Blues were dealt another blow as a minute later we found ourselves losing. A jinking run from Watson, followed by a perfect pass to striker Aghatise, resulted in a calm finish beyond Sharman-Lowe to give Derby the lead.

The home side did well to take the sting out of the game but with 15 minutes to go we created a major opportunity to level the scoreline.

A wicked delivery into the box from Hall found Soonsup-Bell, he opted to lay off the ball to Tariq Uwakwe rather than shoot and his shot seemingly came off an arm, but the referee waved away strong appeals.

Centre-back Eiran Cashin went on a darting run from the back with the ball under minimal pressure and he laid it off to Cybulski. The tall striker’s effort took a heavy deflection which deceived Sharman-Lowe in goal.

That third goal meant it was the third time we had conceded three or more goals in a PL2 game this season.

The game ended with no other chances being created for either side, as the game was managed well by the home side in the final stages. Myers will be disappointed his side failed to create more clear-cut opportunities.

This result means we stay in 10th but could drop lower once the weekend's fixtures have all concluded.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Ted Sharman-Lowe; Xavier Simons (c) (Ben Elliott 85), Brodie Hughes, Xavier Mbuyamba, Lewis Hall; George McEachran, Lewis Baker; Dion Rankine (Josh Brooking 66), Joe Haigh (George Nunn 75), Tariq Uwakwe; Jude Soonsup-Bell.

Unused Subs: Ethan Wady, George Nunn, Jayden Wareham.Booked: Joe Haigh 73.Scorers: Jude Soonsup-Bell 12.

Derby County (4-3-3): Harrison Foulkes; Kornell McDonald, Eiran Cashin, Max Bardell, R Hutchinson; Connor Dixon, Louie Sibley, Louie Watson; Osazee Aghatise, Isaac Hutchinson, Bartosz Cybulski.

Unused Subs: Seb Thompson, Harvey Randle, Courtney Clarke, Alex Matthews, Will Grewal-Pollard.Booked: Eiran Cashin 24, Louie Watson 35.Scorers: Bartosz Cybulski 59, 79, Osazee Aghatise 60.