U18s coach Russell Osman took different positives from each half of last night’s FA Youth Cup third round victory over Leeds United. Goals from Jack Marriott and Jack Simmons saw the young Blues into the draw for the fourth round.
Osman said: "There were good things in both the first and second half really. In the first half we managed to get the ball down and play a little bit after the first 15 minutes, when there had been a few nerves.
"Leeds United are a good side, they’ve got some experienced players there, second-year scholars, big boys, and they’ve got a bit of pace in the side.
"The surface was a little bit lively, there was a bit of dew, a bit of drizzle, so the ball was skipping along quite nicely and it led to a bit of exciting football every now and then.
"After that first 15-minute period we seemed to settle down a little bit, played a little bit better and created some good chances.”
He says having gone in at the break a goal up via Marriott’s strike, his players knew they had to dig in during the second 45 minutes: "We didn’t look too bad at the back and went in at half-time with the one-goal lead and I think we knew that the second half was going to be difficult.
"Leeds could really take a chance and throw everything at us and caution to the wind, so the good point from the second half is that we managed to keep a clean sheet.
"We headed balls out of the box, we blocked shots, the keeper did his bit very well and kept coming for crosses, and even if he didn’t always get them cleanly, he got something on them most of the time.
"We said at half-time that if the back four and the keeper can keep a clean sheet then the tie’s over. We got the important goal in the first half and then towards the end of the second half we managed to get another.
"Jack Simmons came on and very calmly took his goal and Jack Marriott worked his absolute socks off for 75 minutes and he got his goal in the first half. So, the two Jacks notch again.”
Former central defender Osman, a winner of the Youth Cup with Town in 1975, had praise for Marriott, who has become his side’s main goal threat since Caolan Lavery’s departure earlier in the season: "He’s reaping the rewards for his hard work.
"He runs his socks off for us. He was blowing a bit when he came off with 10 or 15 minutes to go, but he really does put everything into every game. He’s brave and he’s getting the rewards for his hard work at the moment.
"Jack Simmons is a different type of striker, he’s just got to keep scoring his goals when the opportunities come along. He’s learning the game, he’s a terrific striker as well.
"It shows you that goalscorers come in all different shapes and sizes - one’s prepared to cover every blade of grass for you and one’s just very, very clinical. We’ve got two good lads there but they’re still both first years in the U18s, so we’ve got them for this year and next year.
"If they keep improving at the rate they’re going then we’ve got two very, very lively front players with a bit of pace and a bit of power who know where the net is.”
The 52-year-old, who returned to the club where his playing career started in February, says the two Jacks, both 17, usually find themselves taking on older boys: "It’s a nice blend but most sides we come up against have usually got quite a solid, experienced back four made up of second years, so they’re up against most weeks.
"It’s a tall order to keep asking them to go up against them physically and without the experience of second year scholars.
"It’s a learning curve for them and they’re take it on board very well at the moment, not just from me but from Gerard Nash, who has worked with them before, from Sammy Morgan, who they’ve known a lot longer than they’ve known me.
"They’re part of a very good work ethic in the squad. Sometimes you realise there’s more than one way to win a game of football.
"If you’ve got somebody who can nick you a goal at one end and you’ve got lads who are prepared to get in the way of shots and put their heads in where they might get kicked off at the other, which our lads did against Leeds, you can scrap out a result that way.”