Callum Osmand bagged a brace as Fulham’s under 21s moved up to second in the PL2 derby by beating Derby County 4-0 at Motspur Park tonight.
The Welsh youth international celebrated being named the PL2’s player of the month for November with a brace of characteristically emphatically finishes to give the young Whites a comfortable cushion before Kristian Šekularac and Aaron Loupalo-Bi made the victory more much resounding in the second half.
The in-form Osmand put Hayden Mullins’ side en route to a seventh successive victory as early as the twelfth minute. Lemar Gordon intercepted a short back pass and played the ball across goal from where the centre forward poked home the simplest of finishes from close range.
Fulham were dealt an injury blow when Ollie Gofford, who has been outstanding at right back throughout this campaign, had to be substituted with only fifteen minutes on the clock. Gofford’s replacement was the impressive Brad de Jesus and the switch hardly seemed to disrupt the home side’s fluency.
They doubled their advantage four minutes later when Osmand nodded home an accurate cross from left back Jon Esenga at the near post. The young Whites were now rampant with even centre back Eddy Nsasi getting in on the act with Derby goalkeeper Jack Thompson doing well to get behind his powerful drive after the Rams hadn’t convincingly cleared an Esenga corner.
Osmand might have had a first half hat-trick but he unselfishly looked for Terrell Works rather than taking on a shot himself and the retreating Derby defence were able to scramble the ball away from danger. The striker was unfortunate not to add to his tally when a lovely half-volley whistled fractionally wide of the far post.
The visitors began the second half strongly with Marco Underwood making a smart save to thwart centre back Kei Robinson and Fulham’s goal barely survived a scramble after they struggled to clear a Derby corner. But Fulham soon scuppered any homes of a County comeback when Thompson couldn’t hold a shot from Works and Sekularac added a third from the rebound.
Underwood did well to get fingertips to a Cruz Allen curler before the hosts had the last word. Substitute Loupalo-Bi rounded off the scoring in the second minute of stoppage time with a superb individual strike as the forward kept his composure after sauntering through the remnants of a tired Rams defence.
It was the perfect way for Mullins’ men, who are now level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table, to sign off for the Christmas break. The under 21s will return to PL2 action on Monday 6 January when they take on their Crystal Palace counterparts at Sutton United’s Gander Green Lane.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Underwood; Gofford (de Jesus 15), Esenga, Park, Nsasi; Donnell, Nwoko (Quashie 66); L. Gordon, Works (Olyott 83), Sekularac; Osmand (Loupalo-Bi 66). Subs (not used): Kaiser.
BOOKED: Nsasi, Sekularac.
GOALS: Osmand (12, 19), Sekularac (64), Loupalo-Bi (90+2).
DERBY COUNTY (4-2-3-1): Thompson; I. Gordon, Gill, K. Robinson, Rooney; Turley (Tola 61), McAndrew (Osaynade 69); Allen, Osong, Eames (Ilesamni 61); Oguntolu (Agustien 61). Subs (not used): Evans.
REFEREE: William Davis.
