Our Academy under 18s are into the third-round draw, but it was far from plain sailing in very wet conditions as they made heavy weather of their progress in the FA Youth Cup.
“It’s great that we’re through, but we have to be better than that. We gave them far too many chances to come back into the game,” said Coach Simon Clark after we ended Swindon’s dreams with a 4-2 victory, in a cup tie played in heavy rain virtually throughout at Plough Lane.
“We’ve got a little bit of history of when we’re three-nil up, it’s the worst number for us. We’ve been three-up several times this season and conceded seven goals.
“First team coach Rob Tuvey came into the dressing room and said that we’ve got to be ruthless at those times. That’s when you put your ego aside, you go back to what we do well, our aggression on the press, how we move the ball and playing with one or two less touches. We didn’t do that, but it’s fantastic that we’re through to the next round.
“I looked at the weather, it was saying earlier that it was torrential. The pitch has played okay, but of course it does effect things. It was a new one for me, but the pitch held up brilliantly. We play in England and it’s not the greatest weather we’ll play in, but it made for an exciting evening here!”
Young striker Tom Wilson continues to develop in his first season with new coach Simon and he was also reluctant to blame the conditions for the young Dons display on the big stage under the lights.
“I think I’ve pushed on this season,” said Tom. “I’d say, there’s been a lot of new information that’s really helped me. My movement has changed and improved because of it, and I think it’s led to a lot of goals inside and around the box.
“Even tonight I was disappointed as there were a couple of chances in the first half, the one which Aron Sasu cut back and the one where I went to the front post for Paris Lock, and both showed that’s different movement and not the same thing. I was left untracked and then it’s just about making quick contact.
“It was hard, and the ball was skidding, but there were times also when it was holding up because as time went on in the second-half the rain was making puddles on the pitch. Some of the passes, when you punched the ball in, were going straight off the pitch. Otherwise, if you played it too lightly, it was holding up completely.”
Pic: Lucy Dixon.
You can see in-depth analysis in full with coach Simon Clark and striker Tom Wilson below, via the link to our official YouTube channel.