JOSH King and Anton Forrester scored on their comeback from injury as 10-man Blackburn Rovers let a two-goal lead slip in losing 4-3 to Derby County in tonight’s feisty U21s Premier League encounter at a rain-soaked Ewood Park.

King, making his first competitive since injuring his back while playing for Norway on October 13, opened the scoring in the ninth minute.

The attacker took a pass from Jack Doyle and brushed past his marker before side-footing the ball underneath the body of Jonathan Mitchell, who should have done better.

But Derby, who are now unbeaten in seven matches, restored parity three minutes later when Alban Bunjaku made space for himself in the area and dragged a shot back across Jake Kean and into the bottom corner.

Rovers restored their advantage in the 32nd minute through Forrester, who was playing a competitive game for the first time in nine months after suffering cruciate ligament damage while playing on loan for Bury.

And what a fine goal it was too, the 20-year-old striker sweeping the ball out wide to Connor Mahoney before racing into the box to meet the winger’s inviting cross with an unstoppable diving header.

Forrester went on to score his second in the 44th minute when he collected a lay-off from Devarn Green and nudged the ball through Mitchell’s legs and over the line.

Kean did better in first-half injury-time when he denied Rhys Sharpe from point-blank range.

Forrester and King were replaced at half-time by Dean Rittenberg and Hyuga Tanner and with it went Rovers’ momentum.

Seven minutes after the restart the Rams halved the deficit when Tom Koblenz beat Kean with the aid of a deflection after a short-corner routine.

Kean was helpless, too, to prevent Shaquille McDonald from slamming in the 69th-minute equaliser after Alfie Santos had pulled the ball back across the area.

And five minutes later McDonald took advantage of haphazard defending to put Derby in front for the first time in the contest in equally emphatic fashion.

It got worse for Rovers 10 minutes from time when substitute Tanner was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Koblenz.