10-Man Bournemouth U21s Lose 3-0 to a Tough Derby Team in the Cup

25th January 2025 | By Ben Thomas

Match Report:

A Lennon Wheeldon brace and a late goal from the spot by Israel Green were enough to beat a positive Bournemouth team in the U21 Premier League Cup.

Key Moments:

First Half:

Both of Wheeldon’s goals came from brilliant play by the Rams winger.

Jerome Richards dribbled into the box and shot, but the effort was well saved by Cal McKenna. The rebound, however, fell to Wheeldon, who finished well.

Early in the game, Derby had a series of corners which tested Bournemouth’s defense. They coped well with the help of a brilliant reaction save from McKenna. A Derby player flicked the ball on at the front post, but thanks to McKenna's right arm, he kept the game level (9 min).

The Cherries were bright down the left-hand side, particularly in the first half. Fast passing between Ashley Clarke and Charlie Osborne resulted in Clarke having space on the edge of the Derby box. Clarke shot, trying to catch the keeper out at his near post, but the keeper was wise to it and made a good save.

McKenna was called upon again to prevent Wheeldon from gaining a second. The striker turned on the right-hand side of the box. McKenna came out quickly, closing the angle and enabling himself to make the save (33 min).

Bournemouth ended the half strong with a positive move on the counterattack. Kian Tydeman flicked the ball over the defender and then slipped in Koby Mottoh, who drilled the shot just wide of the far post.

Second Half:

The Rams came out charging, scoring early in the second half. Wheeldon shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner (48 min).

The Cherries were down to 10 men after Malcom Dacosta Gonzalez collided with Jerome Richards. The referee believed it was a tactical foul to stop Derby from countering (55 min).

McKenna was yet again able to match a strong shot from Demaine Agustien. The ball came to him on the edge of the box; he shot towards the top right corner, but McKenna’s diving save tipped it wide (71 min).

Bournemouth had a flurry of chances towards the end of the game. The first came from a cutback by Tommy Whitehead to Koby Mottoh, who shot just wide of the post.

Soon after, the ball fell to Clarke thanks to a mistake from the Derby keeper. Clarke attempted to chip the keeper, who managed to get back just in time to push it wide.

In the 87th minute, Derby were awarded a penalty, which was dispatched by Israel Green.

Overall Thoughts:

There were a lot of positives to take from the game. Firstly, our build-up play was effective. We broke through the lines of Derby effectively, particularly in the first half. This came through good link-up play, especially down our left-hand side.

Academy manager, Alen Connell, told AFCBTV: “The response when we were down to 10-men is something that I was really happy with, I think we created more chances ironically because of the players’ attitude, mentality, running power and increased quality - it was a good lesson for everyone that if you commit to what you believe in, you can have a big impact on games, I was really happy with that spell especially.”

Post-match, Alfie Merritt gave us a few words and he told Constant AFCB that he’s enjoyed the step up to the under-21s from the under-18s. He felt, and I agree, that he played well against Derby’s number nine. For much of the game, Merritt matched the pace and physicality of Wheeldon. Along with this, Merritt was confident in possession for the Cherries.

Merritt, along with the other players making the step up into the under-21s, can only benefit from playing against strong opposition such as Derby. This will help them in their development into first-team players.

Although we are out of the Premier League Cup, the players should hold their heads high and look forward to their next game against Swansea!