Sean Wood, the Lead Professional Development Phase Coach, is seeking a turnaround after Swindon Town’s U18s fell short in their recent match against Portsmouth U18s, resulting in a 2-1 defeat despite Alistair Stewart’s late goal.
Wood acknowledges the need for improvement and is now focused on their upcoming fixture against Aldershot Town in the FA Youth Cup.
Wood described the loss as a case of falling short on that particular day due to two individual errors leading to goals in the first half. The team showed improvement in the second half, with better ball movement, but struggled to break down Portsmouth’s solid defense.
Wood stressed the importance of maintaining perspective, considering the stretched squad due to first-team commitments and injuries, and emphasized the need to bounce back in the upcoming FA Youth Cup match and their next league game.
He also noted the positive impact of having academy players in the first team, even though their absence affects the U18 fixture by depriving it of certain qualities and physicality. However, this situation also presents opportunities for the four U16s involved.
Looking ahead to the Aldershot game, Wood highlighted the unique significance of the FA Youth Cup in the players’ schedule and their determination to progress as far as possible. Preparation for the cup match has already begun, with a focus on developing a game plan for the away game on Wednesday.
Despite the recent setback, there are still several encouraging aspects to draw from the situation, and Sean Wood and his team are eager to resume their winning ways as they head to Aldershot.
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