Former Premier League striker Dean Ashton has praised the impact of Jack Marriott as he inspired Derby to a victory over Leeds in the play-off semi-final last night.

The former Peterborough man was initially named on the bench, however he came on in the 44th minute for Duane Holmes and made an instant impression, scoring within a minute of coming on.

In a thoroughly entertaining game, Marriott then scored the decisive fourth goal on the night for the Rams to ensure they will be playing Aston Villa at the end of the month at Wembley.

And, Ashton praised the role the 24-year-old played on a memorable night for Derby despite being out of the team in recent weeks, when speaking on Wednesday night's EFL on Quest show.

"He’s been out of favour because he hasn’t played much, [Mason] Bennett played up front at the start of the game.

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"He brings pace, he looks to be on the last line of defence, and just that change from Frank Lampard – a 433 to a diamond in midfield with two upfront - was key because it changed the game. It was a very cool finish considering he hasn’t played much."

The Verdict

There's no doubt that Marriott's introduction changed the game as he gave the visitors more of a cutting edge.

Many fans were confused as to why he didn't start and you can understand why but Lampard deserves credit for making the change and it paid off.

Ashton's assessment is spot on and the striker will hope that he gets the start at Wembley after such a big display last night.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch highlights of every EFL play-off final on Quest, with dedicated shows for each league starting from Saturday 25th May. Also available live and on demand at questod.co.uk and via the QuestOD app

Watch last night’s show here: https://www.questod.co.uk/show/efl-on-quest/video/league-2-playoff-final/EHD_265928C