Welcome returns for Ibe and Bielik
JORDON Ibe and Krystian Bielik both played for Derby County Under-23s in their 3-1 victory over Southampton yesterday.
Ibe started the Premier League 2 Division One fixture at the Rams’ Moor Farm training ground and was replaced by Josh Shonibare at halftime. Bielik played 65 minutes.
Ibe scored after ony two minutes, curling his finish right-footed high across the Southampton keeper and into the far top corner.
The Southampton defender could have closed Ibe down quicker but it was still a fine finish.
Also in the first half, Ibe delivered a corner on to the head of Bielik, who should have done better, and then Ibe released Morgan Whittaker, whose effort was pushed away by the keeper.
Ibe has been working on his fitness since joining the Rams as a free agent. The 24-year-old winger’s last senior appearance was for Bournemouth in a Carabao Cup tie against Burton Albion a year ago.
He got on the ball as much as he could against Southampton, he showed glimpses of his quality, but he probably needs more minutes for the under23s to build match fitness and sharpness, which is understandable after such a lengthy lay-off.
This was Bielik’s first action since January, when he suffered a serious knee injury playing for the under-23s in a game against Tottenham Hotspur at the Loughborough University Stadium.
The 22-year-old Polish international played in the centre of midfield against Southampton and grew into the game after a quiet start, again understandable after being out for nine months.
Ibe’s early goal gave Derby the perfect start but Callum Slattery equalised for Southampton with an excellent free kick. The visitors had two players sent off in the second half and goals from Whittaker, direct from a free kick, and a late goal from Kornell McDonald gave Derby the points. DERBY COUNTY U23s: Idem; McDonald, A Brown, J Brown, Minkley, Solomon, Whittaker, Bielik (Dixon, 65), Hector-Ingram, Watson (Stretton, 78), Ibe (Shonibare, 46). Other subs: Sykes-Kenworthy (gk), Hutchinson.