Derby County 3-3 Salford City (pens: 5-3) Relief for Wayne Rooney as Rams advance in EFL Cup on penalties against League Two side as ex-Man United man Ravel Morrison scores STUNNER on his debut for the Rams… his first goal in England in SEVEN years!
- Salford City scored two quick goals in the opening 15 minutes at Pride Park
- Derby levelled the scores through Isaac Hutchinson and Colin Kazim-Richards
- City took the lead through a penalty before Ravel Morrison scored a stunner
- The ex-Man United star was making his debut for Derby after joining last week
Ravel Morrison is one of English football’s great unfulfilled talents yet perhaps Wayne Rooney is the man who finally unlocks his genius.
The former Manchester United wonderkid, now 28, celebrated signing a one-year deal with the Rams – his 12th club – with a glorious strike that set up a penalty shoot-out victory for Rooney’s side over Salford. The League Two club are part-owned by Rooney’s fellow United great Gary Neville, who was also at Pride Park to watch his team knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the first round.
The troubled Championship club were 2-0 down inside 15 minutes to goals from Jordan Turnbull and Josh Morris. Their young side pulled level through Isaac Hutchinson and substitute Colin Kazim-Richards’ penalty. Morris’ second, also from the spot, put Salford 3-2 up before Morrison’s goal eight minutes from the end of normal time.
Wayne Rooney breathed a huge sigh of relief after Derby County beat Salford on penalties
Ravel Morrison sent the game to penalties with a long-range stunner on his Derby debut
Jordan Turnball nodded home from close range after poor defending from a corner by Derby
The defender, 26, wheels away in celebration after putting the League Two side in front
Josh Morris doubled the visitors’ lead before 15 minutes with a fine effort from long distance
Rooney revealed he had been awake into the early hours in recent weeks trying to bring in new players and he may suffer a few more sleepless nights before the season is out if all his team’s games are as open as this. But he was a happy man by the end here after Allsop saved Salford’s second penalty in the shoot-out from sub Luke Burgess, allowing youngster Louie Watson to secure Derby’s spot in the next round by scoring the fifth.
Derby had a dreadful start when Josh Morris’s corner was flicked on at the near post Ashley Eastham and Jordan Turnbull headed beyond Ryan Allsop.
And it the 14th minute, Salford doubled their lead as Morris was allowed to drift in from the right and send a 25-yard shot arrowing into the bottom corner.
Isaac Hutchinson gave Derby a lifeline with a goal before the break, his first for the club
Colin Kazim-Richards scored from the spot before Morris fired back with his own penalty
Salford keeper Tom King was unable to play the hero as Derby won 5-3 on penalties
At that stage it looked bleak for the Rams but they rallied and deserved to force their way back into the game two minutes before half-time, when Isaac Hutchinson fired home from close range. In stoppage time, the crossbar denied Louie Sibley an equaliser.
Derby finally drew level in the 71st minute when substitute Colin Kazim-Richards converted a penalty after Festy Obesele had been hacked down by Ibou Touray.
Yet two minutes later, Salford were back in front with a spot-kick of their own. Craig Forsyth fouled substitute Luke Burgess and Morris beat Allsop for his second of the match.
Just when it appeared Derby’s race was run, Morrison’s free-kick was blocked by the wall and when the ball rebounded to him and he sent a thunderous drive into the roof of the net from 20 yards.