Adam Birchall praised the way our under-18s maintained their high standard of football in a 4-0 win over Reading.
Max Dowman somewhat stole the show, scoring two goals in each half, but Birchall was keen to praise the team effort, especially in keeping a clean sheet.
The win was our seventh in a row, taking us within a point of U18 Premier League South leaders Chelsea.
On the performance…
“Really pleased with the boys, I challenged them before the game to handle last week really, to keep our standards high from the Crystal Palace game last Thursday.
“So I was really pleased with a lot of aspects of the game today, so to get four goals and a clean sheet was a positive.”
On the importance of clean sheets and goal difference for the league table…
“I haven’t even looked at (the table) really, I’ll be honest! A clean sheet for example has been a real focus of ours for a number of weeks.
“Unfortunately we’ve given penalties away in the last few games, and it’s meant the guys have been getting hungrier and hungrier for it, so I was really pleased with that.
“Yeah to score four and not concede a goal, obviously for the confidence of the guys and building mentality and giving themselves the chance to win games the clean sheet and obviously goals are important.”
On the development over the course of the season…
“It’s so hard to capture all of the small moments that go on throughout the year, but I think what I’ve seen is a group of players mature. I've been speaking about self-regulating a lot since I took over.
“I think that’s what you’re starting to see out on the pitch on matchday, but it’s actually what’s happening on the training ground day-to-day.
“We’ve still got steps to go with that because the guys are young, but you see with Myles, Ethan and their age, they’re really sort of showing us the way in that way and the professional standards and behaviours and really work on the game, your individual game, understanding that the team is the vehicle to help you perform well.
“There’s a real togetherness at the moment and I think that’s also important, that bond that’s been created over the course of the season, through hard times and good times, that’s a season.
“I think it’s impossible to measure it, but I think when you come and watch the guys individually and you really focus on and you know their development areas, you see it coming out more and more and they’re becoming more consistent.
“So yeah, hats off to them and obviously that’s what they have to do. If they want to be a professional footballer, it doesn’t stop, hopefully it’s creating the behaviours and standards that really will give them a chance to go on and have a career.”
On preparation for Tuesday's North London derby…
“The challenge again will be to raise the bar from today’s game and learn from today’s game and bring it out in the game on Tuesday.
“I think as young people, they can hear a lot of what you can’t do well. I think when you are getting success as well, really highlighting that for players.
“Max Dowman was the example of that today. Everyone will remember he scored four goals, but what I saw in his defending intentions and his willingness to compete with aerial balls, things like that, I thought he really led the way today.
“So it’s again, capturing that and can you bring it again with your skills and quality to the game.”
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