Leeds United Under-23s edge out Derby County at Loughborough University to return to winning ways

Leeds United Under-23s head coach Mark Jackson. Pic: Bruce Rollinson

The Whites travelled to Leicestershire looking to bounce back from defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League 2 earlier in the week.

Leeds, though, suffered a difficult start as they fell behind in the ninth minute thanks to a low strike from Osazee Aghatise.

Cysencio Summerville levelled a short while later with a fine individual goal but the Rams were back in front through Connor Dixon after a rebound fell kindly for the midfielder.

United again responded on the half hour mark, Sam Greenwood getting on the end of a perfectly-weighted pass from Jack Jenkins' surging run.

The two sides went in level at the interval and struggled to be separated in the second period as they exchanged attacks.

Joe Gelhardt and Liam McCarron were introduced from the bench and it was the former who finally provided the decisive strike 18 minutes from time.

Joffy, as he is affectionately known, took one touch out of his feet and hammered a thunderous shot into the bottom corner past Harrison Foulkes to hand Leeds their first lead of the night.

Aghatise had earlier smashed the post for the hosts and the night turned sour for County in injury-time as they ended the evening with 10 men thanks to captain Eiran Cashin being handed his marching orders due to a second yellow card.

"What a tough game," Jackson told the YEP post-match.

"They caused us a lot of problems from start to finish. Credit needs to go to them for that. Ultimately, I'm pleased for the boys that they came through it.

"I didn't think we deserved to come away from Monday's game [against Spurs] with nothing. But that's football sometimes. I thought our grit and desire shone through in the end."

Derby County: Foulkes, Bardell, Solomon, Cashin, Grewal-Pollard, Thompson, De Gracia, Thompson, Dixon, Aghatise, Cybulski. Subs: Barnes, Matthews, Clarke, Richards, Borkovic.

Leeds United: Klaesson, Drameh, Moore, Cresswell, Kenneh, Jenkins, Summerville, Bate, Greenwood, McKinstry, Miller. Subs: Van Den Heuvel, Gelhardt (Summerville 45), McGurk, McCarron (Cresswell 45), Sutcliffe.