Team Derby Narrowly Edge Past Oxford

Team Derby’s Men’s Football 2nds secured their first win of the season with a thrilling 2-1 victory at home against Oxford University 2nds.

Coming into the fixture on the back of two consecutive defeats in the league, Pablo Mills’ side were looking to rectify their mistakes in the BUCS Midlands Conference Cup.

The home team were dominant throughout the game and had the first clear-cut opportunity after a free kick was whipped in by Harry Towner but was headed just wide by skipper Matt Balmbra.

Derby then took the lead after a low cross from Anthony Garmory was deflected in the penalty area and fell at the feet of Williams, who timed his run perfectly to anticipate the ball and coolly put it past the visiting keeper.

Oxford levelled the scores after the break when Oliver Cantrill’s blocked shot bounced straight into the path of Taka Tsunoda, who hit a low drive past goalkeeper Jonny Lappert into the bottom left corner.

The game was end-to-end with both teams having chances, but Derby looked more likely to find a breakthrough. They made their constant pressure count twenty minutes from time as Garmory’s acrobatic effort found its way into the net from 12 yards out.

“I asked for a reaction and I got one,” Mills said after the game. “I thought we lacked fitness last week, so we worked on it and I think it was one of our strong points,” he continued. “It’s a starting block; it’s something to work on and we’ll keep going.”

Derby’s next fixture is against Leicester’s De Montfort University.

BY: HRITIKA SHARMA, PAREEM VARA AND DARION WESTWOOD