Sub Lankshear nets brace as Under-21s win at Derby

Will Lankshear stepped off the bench to convert two near-identical crosses from the superb Jamie Donley as our Under-21s continued their 100 per cent start to the season with a 2-0 win at Derby County on Friday night.

The striker, out injured for much of the early part of this year, wasted no time in making an impact when he was introduced as part of a double change just prior to the hour mark at Pride Park, scoring with his first touch at the back post after a fine delivery from Donley, before repeating the trick with a stoppage-time header as we finally put a determined Rams side away to make it three wins out of three at the start of the Premier League 2 campaign.

We didn't hit the heights of the free-scoring performances in the first two games, but still had the better of the opportunities and deserved to win after an improved second-half display, lifted by the introductions of Lankshear and midfielder Matthew Craig.

Jude Soonsup-Bell dragged wide early on, while Rio Kyerematen shot straight at goalkeeper Harry Evans and Donley fired inches past the post as we started well, but the first half turned into more of an end-to-end affair, albeit without many clear-cut chances. Bayo Fapetu fizzed one wide from distance for Derby, but it was arguably Nile John who went closest, his shot from the edge of the box palmed away by Evans at the expense of a corner five minutes before the break.

Yago Santiago caused the Rams problems down the left side after the restart, denied from the angle by Evans in the 56th minute, before a double substitution from coach Wayne Burnett paid immediate dividends - Craig tried to score with his first touch, his volley was charged down at the edge of the box but after Donley brilliantly won the ball back and delivered a cross on the turn from the left side, Lankshear was there to achieve the same feat with an emphatic back-post finish within a minute of coming on, opening his account for us at this level.

We began to create more chances in the last quarter-of-an-hour, Donley heading over following a cross from Harvey White, who was back at Pride Park after his loan spell with the Rams last season, while Lankshear broke forward on the counter a couple of times, but just couldn't find the right pass to pick out a team-mate. Lankshear was denied from the left angle by Evans a few minutes later with John also dragging wide before we finally bagged our second goal in the fifth minute of added time, Donley again delivering a superb 'blind' cross on the swivel from the left side and Lankshear bundling a header past Evans after an initial great run down the left from Santiago.

Reaction on SPURSPLAY

'We adjusted a few things in the second half'

Under-21s Coach Wayne told SPURSPLAY after the game: "I'm pleased with the result and the clean sheet, we had some really good individual performances and to come away to Derby and get a win is pleasing. I was a little bit disappointed in the first half, I didn't think we played to our standards but we came out in the second half, adjusted a few things and I thought we were much better. I'm really pleased for Will - he's been waiting for his opportunity and when his opportunity has presented itself, he's taken it."

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Lankshear 59, 90+5.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Kyerematen 47, Donley 77, Lankshear 90+8.

Referee: Stuart Morland.

Venue: Pride Park, Derby.

Weather: Light cloud, 15 degrees.

Attendance: 733.