Derby County beat Chesterfield 2-1 on Tuesday evening with one man earning high praise from Liam Thompson.
The Rams welcomed local rivals Chesterfield to Pride Park on August 13th for a first-round meeting in the League Cup.
Derby County lost 4-2 versus Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the Championship season, with it clear Paul Warne has a tough challenge ahead of him.
As a result, it was imperative the Derbyshire outfit did not suffer a shock exit at the hands of their League Two opponents in midweek.
When all was said and done, Derby beat Chesterfield 2-1 at Pride Park to book their spot in the next round of the League Cup.
The game started off shaky for the home side as Armando Dobra put Paul Cook’s men 1-0 up with just under 30 minutes on the clock.
However, Derby bounced back and equalised via Liam Thompson shortly before the end of the first half.
New signing Kayden Jackon then got off the mark for his new club, netting a winner in the 68th minute.
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Liam Thompson praises Derby County teammate after Chesterfield
There were a couple of standout performers for Warne’s team on Tuesday.
Craig Forsyth impressed for Derby versus Chesterfield, potentially playing his way into the eleven for their game against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Dajaune Brown earned mixed reviews from Derby fans after his showing in the League Cup outing.
The Rams’ academy graduate made only his fifth senior appearance for the club against Chesterfield.
He provided the assist for Thompson’s equaliser and his work-rate was on full display. However, he did struggle in some aspects, especially in terms of his finishing.
But speaking to the club’s media after the match, Thompson has showered Brown in praise.
He said: “I think he did brilliantly. He’s a great lad, a humble lad and he’s come through the Academy like me, so we’ve got that in common.
“He’s a very good player. He works hard and I thought he worked really hard off the ball tonight.
“He made some good runs, battled hard and he got into some good positions. He didn’t get his goal, which I think he deserved. That will come with his hard work and I think he’s been really good for us.”
Is Dajaune Brown ready for the Championship
While Brown was praised heavily by Thompson, question marks remain over his ability to perform against tougher opposition.
The 18-year-old clearly has a lot of potential but after struggling in some aspects against Chesterfield, a step up to the Championship may prove too much.
Derby will be in a relegation fight this season and Warne does not really have the luxury of being able to take risks with inexperienced players.
As a result, even though the Derbyshire side are lacking quality at centre-forward right now, a loan move for Brown may be the best move.
Playing in League One or League Two for a season could help the teenager develop his game and potentially open the door for a first-team role at Derby in 2025/26.