The U18s have had another busy week. Having travelled to Cambridge and won 2-1 in the cup on Tuesday to take them through to the quarter-finals of the Youth Alliance Cup, they then travelled down south on Friday to play Plymouth Argyle in the league.
This was a fantastic experience for the players because they played at Home Park, the first team stadium of Plymouth. The young Robins once again created a lot of chances, but they struggled to convert them and were punished by the hosts who eventually went on to win 5-0.
The U16s continued their pattern of playing well every two weeks by beating Plymouth comfortably this weekend. Of the last six fixtures we have won three and lost three, but have alternated these wins and losses over this period.
We started this weekend’s game very quickly and the game was well in our command by half-time. We managed the game well in the second half and ran out comfortable winners. The only negative part of the day was the six-hour bus journey home as we were caught in the M5 closure.
The U15s were again disappointing this week as they lost to Oxford United. The team played well for 35 minutes, but then conceded three goals in a five minute period which all but killed the game. This came after a good week of training where the U15s and U16s had looked sharp and focused.
The U14s performed well in their fixture versus Oxford, but ultimately lost the match because they didn’t take advantage of key moments during the game and made mistakes which allowed the home side to score at crucial times.
The U13s had their best performance of the season so far on Sunday. They showed great work rate and desire for the first three quarters of the match, but they tired towards the end of the game and conceded a few late goals. This was a great improvement for the group and they are getting better every week which is promising for us as a coaching team.
Last week was a good week at training. The boys worked hard and this was translated into performances by most of the YDP age groups. The encouraging thing is that the boys are making improvements every week which is a positive sign and shows we are heading in the right direction.
This weekend, the U18s host Portsmouth at home. It will be an 11am kick off at the training ground, come down and show your support!
Finally, good luck to the manager and the first team on their travels against Stanley this weekend!