Hull City U21 made light work of Derby County in the Premier League Cup group stage on Thursday evening, running out 4-1 winners at Pride Park. The visitors took control after a penalty from S. Ashbee gave the hosts an early lead, then pulled away with five goals in the final 55 minutes. And here's the thing — Hull never looked back after that opening setback.
Derby County struck first through Ashbee's spot-kick in the 15th minute, a moment that should have set the tone. But Hull responded with Mintus finding the net in the 35th minute, and by then the game was slipping away from the home side. The visitors worked a short corner before the break, and the structure they showed suggested they had the deeper squad.
The second half belonged to Hull City U21. Devine opened the scoring in the 83rd minute, Daley added another in the 84th, and Silk wrapped things up with a late effort in stoppage time. One mistake ends it when you're facing a side that's switched to a back three and found their rhythm. Derby were left flat-footed for much of that period.
The defeat extends a poor run for the home side, who have already lost 3-0 to Carlisle and 2-0 to Brentford U21 this season. To be fair, they've shown flashes — a win over Manchester City U21 and a victory against Sunderland U21 — but consistency remains elusive. Hull's recent form has been more mixed, with heavy defeats to Bournemouth and a narrow loss to Scarborough Athletic.
By then, the result was never in doubt. Hull City U21 move into a stronger position in the group, while Derby County need the points badly if they're to progress. The scoreline tells the story: five goals to one, with the visitors proving far too sharp in the final third.