Matlock Town 2 Derby County XI 2

A Derby County XI were held to a 2-2 draw against Matlock Town at Causeway Lane last night in game that saw Jeff Hendrick and Courtney Chipperfield score for The Rams. Derby had three trialists making appearances in the shape of Joel Ledgister, the former Ebbsfleet and Oxford winger, and Marc Hatvani and Courtney Chipperfield, both young Australians who play at leftback and as a striker respectively. Ross Hannah scored twice for the home side and there were also run-outs for a number of first team players with Tomasz Cywka, Dean Moxey, David Martin, Ben Pringle, Luke Varney and Saul Deeney all playing a part.

Derby used the 4-2-3-1 system that the first team has used in their pre-season run-outs but fell behind in the twelfth minute when Hannah ran onto a long pass through the middle to neatly slot home giving Saul Deeney no chance whilst the defence wanted an offside decision. The same player missed a glorious chance to increase the lead ten minutes later when Deeney saved his penalty. Luke Varney again played at rightback and his positive run forward found Cywka but this shot went over the top and Hendrick and Ledgister both went close to equalisers in the first half.

Derby levelled the game four minutes into the second period when Hendrick`s deflected effort wrong footed Adam Sollitt in the Matlock goal and four minutes later they were ahead when Cywka`s free kick found Chipperfield who headed home to turn the game around. The lead didn`t last long however as Hannah cut inside from the right and his swerving effort deceived Deeney and ended in the back of the net just before the hour mark to level things up again. Nick Langford, another trialist, came off the bench and had a shot well held by Sollitt whilst Varney also came close to winning it after moving upfront with a shot that was tipped over the top.

DERBY COUNTY: Deeney (Atkins, 63); Varney, O'Brien, Moxey, Hatvani (Connolly, 46), Hendrick (Garton, 64), Pringle (Abalimba, 59), Ledgister, Chipperfield, Martin (Mills, 59), Cywka (Langford, 63).

REFEREE: P Thompson (Chesterfield).

ATTENDANCE: 378.

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