U21s Report: Leicester City 6 Derby County 2

- Dodoo scores a brace in four first-half minutes 

- Goals from Scott, Panayiotou, Cain and King complete a dominant win for City 

- Beaglehole fields strong side in first half before introducing a number of youngsters in the second period 

The Foxes bounced back from a 2-0 defeat at Birmingham City on Tuesday with a stellar performance against a talented Derby side at a windy Belvoir Drive. 

Steve Beaglehole fielded a strong starting XI in the first period, before introducing a number of younger players that will this season make the step up from the Club’s Under-18s side. 

It took just nine minutes for the Foxes to open the scoring, with midfielder Kris Scott rounding off a fine move with a neat finish after collecting Harry Panayiotou’s lay-off. 

A well-timed challenge from right back Matty Miles on Offrande Zanzala prevented the visitors from getting on level terms with 11 minutes gone. 

The pace and energy of Joe Dodoo on the left wing caused havoc from the off, and he soon doubled City’s lead with a composed effort at the back post just seven minutes after Scott’s opener. 

Intelligent hold-up play by striker Jacob Blyth then found Dodoo again on 20 minutes. The wideman produced yet another clinical finish after slipping past his marker to put his side into a 3-0 lead. 

Derby weren’t without their chances, and when Ivan Calero found space on the edge of the box, he unleashed a powerful low drive that struck Jonny Maddison’s post midway through the first half. 

Alie Sesay then did well to block Tom Koblenz’s strike, but it would be Leicester who would score the next goal to extend their advantage. 

Blyth was again involved, stealing in on a defensive mistake before setting up Panayiotou. The St. Kitts and Nevis international did well to shrug off his marker before producing a delicate finish past Jonathan Mitchell to make it 4-0. 

Midfielder Michael Cain, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Walsall in 2014/15, then carried the ball past three defenders and fired in to make it five as the first half came to a close. 

Second half substitute Hamza Choudhury, operating at right back in this fixture, threw himself in front of Kwame Thomas’ strike to keep his side’s clean sheet intact, but Derby would eventually find the back of the net just after the hour mark. 

Max Lowe flew down the left wing and produced a low cross that found Shaquille McDonald, who stabbed in past substitute goalkeeper Max Smith-Varnham. 

Smith-Varnham was then called into his first save of the game on 69 minutes as he denied Charles Vernam from close range. 

City continued to push forward, and the introduction of young striker Keenan King would significantly bolster the Foxes’ already powerful attack. 

King, who scored some sensational goals for the Under-18s last season, picked up the ball in midfield before hammering an unstoppable effort past Mitchell to restore his side’s five-goal cushion. 

The visitors would reply soon after through the lively Thomas, who turned in the ball after Smith-Varnham had initially made a good stop from McDonald. 

City kept the ball well in the late stages, with midfielder Jak McCourt going close late on with a curling free kick that struck the Derby bar – the last significant action of a superb performance from Beaglehole’s side. 

Leicester continue their pre-season schedule on Wednesday with a trip to Loughborough Dynamo’s Nanpantan Sports Ground (7.30pm kick-off). 

CITY: Maddison (Smith-Varnham 46), Miles (Choudhury 46), Elder (Fox 68), McCourt (c), Davis (Moore 68), Sesay, Scott (Rowe 68), Cain (Kipre 77), Blyth (Stankevicius 56), Panayiotou (King 68), Dodoo (Bailey 80)

SUBS NOT USED: Anderson, Olukanmi, Hassall 

GOALS: Scott 9, Dodoo 16, 20, Panayiotou 33, Cain 39, King 72 

DERBY: Mitchell, Tuite (Stabana 45), Mbende, Wassall, Lowe, Santos (Elsnik 45), Guy, Koblenz, Zanzala (McDonald 45), Calero (Vernam 45), Piechniak (Thomas 45) 

SUBS NOT USED: Barnes, Bennett 

GOALS: McDonald 65, Thomas 74 

REFEREE: Martin Dexter