Rams out as Billy is too Sharp for Blades in cup win
SIBLEY GIVES VISITORS THE LEAD BUT HOSTS HIT BACK
LOUIE Sibley’s emphatic finish put Derby County ahead but it was not enough to prevent them toppling out of the Carabao Cup last night.
Sibley gave the Rams the lead shortly before half-time in this second-round tie at Bramall Lane but Sheffield United hit back to equalise through Luke Freeman.
Then substitute Billy Sharp came off the bench to grab a winner 13 minutes from time and give the Blades a 2-1 victory.
Derby, as expected, made changes to the team that drew with Middlesbrough in the Championship at the weekend.
There were eight changes. In came goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, defenders Kornell McDonald, Richard Stearman and Dylan Williams, as well as Isaac Hutchinosn, Louis Watson, Jordan Brown and Jack Stretton.
Only three players who started against Middlesbrough were in the 11 – Craig Forsyth, Kamil Jozwiak and Louie Sibley.
Rams boss Wayne Rooney said before the game: “The issue I have got is the lads on the bench need minutes, they need game time.
“I need these players to be in a position when I need them to come on or to start games they have enough game-time in them.
“It is not me disrespecting the cup, it is me purely doing it from a manager’s point of view making sure the
players are ready because we have to prioritise the League.”
Derby booked their place in this round of the competition by beating League Two opponents Salford City 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw after 90 minutes, while United beat Carlisle United 1-0 at home.
The Blades have taken only one point from their opening four League games and manager Slavisa Jokanovic made 11 changes for the cup tie. He handed starts to former Rams defender Jayden Bogle as well as Zak Brunt, who had a spell in the Rams Academy.
There were two early sights of goal for Derby. Stretton won the ball back and found Hutchinson who carried the ball forward but took too long to decide whether to shoot or feed Sibley, and his shot was a weak one.
Rams keeper Allsop then did well to leave his area and clear from the on-rushing Oli Burke and this allowed Derby to counter. Jozwiak found Sibley, who whipped a shot narrowly wide.
There was an end-to-end feel about the game in the opening 15 minutes. Allsop made a routine save low down at his near post from Burke before David McGoldrick put the ball on a plate for Daniel Jebbison
and he diverted it wide from only a few yards out when he should have put the home side ahead.
Stretton continued to get into some good attacking without making the most of them but the Rams went ahead a minute before the break.
Jozwiak was involved in the move, McDonald supported the attack from right-back and sent the ball into the box. When it dropped to Sibley he checked onto his left foot and rifled a low finish past Michael Verrips.
United made a change for the second half, sending on John Fleck for Jebbison and they equalised after 53 minutes. Kyron Gordon was given too much time to deliver a cross and Freeman, unchallenged, headed high past Allsop. The Rams keeper got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out
Derby looked to hit back immediately. Stretton was denied by Verrips and the Rams showed plenty of character as they looked to take the game to United.
Borkovic came on for his debut, replacing Stretton, but it was United substitute Sharp who made a telling impact by putting the Blades ahead.
Forsyth flicked a header out of the path of Sharp only for Stearman and McDonald to dither. McDonald tried to play the ball back to Allsop but underhit his back pass and Sharp pounced to round the keeper and find the net.
Such chances cannot be gifted to a finisher as clinical as Sharp and he punished Derby and put United in the hat for the third-round draw.