Under-18s lead coach Joe Deeney was keen to offer perspective following the entertaining but ultimately disappointing 6-3 defeat to Cambridge in the EFL Youth Alliance at The Brache.
A hat-trick from Archie Shepherd was not enough to secure the points for the Hatters, though Deeney was keen to address the defeat by reminding his players that it would need to be put into context, with the U18s’ coach stating: “Look, I hate losing, whether that’s a game of football or a game of Mario-Kart,” Deeney joked.
“It’s the manner in which you get beat. I think when you lose 6-3 it is human nature to go and focus on all the things you didn’t do well.
“First and foremost I must credit Cambridge; they punished us today in the big moments.
"The goals are disappointing, but when you contextualise it and understand that we had eight of our strongest 11 missing, that we’ve got 14-year old David Chigozie starting at the back, who was excellent today, we are stretched at the minute but I can’t fault the lads for effort.”
In a difficult opening half-hour for the Hatters, in which three goals were shipped, excellent recoveries from midfielder Jerome Passley-James were crucial in setting up goals for Archie Shepherd to help force the Town back into the match, with those reactions pleasing Deeney.
“I think that’s what we want from Luton Town players, it’s my 33rd year being involved with the club in some capacity, nothing has ever changed – if you try hard, work hard and you get after people then you’ll do well.
“Had it have been 6-3 because we aren’t tracking, we aren’t running after people, we aren’t sprinting or trying to block shots, it changes the whole conversation. I think it’s a great learning curve for our players. We were so young at the end of that match, but I can’t fault their effort at all.”
Shepherd scored his first goal of the game with a brilliant driving run and a low finish, before curling in two beautiful strikes to complete his hat-trick in the second half.
However, it was more than the midfielder's technical ability that impressed Deeney, who said: “It’s so easy to talk about the stuff he does with the ball, he’s got great quality, but I thought his attitude to run and press and shut people down was excellent.
“There’s still a lot to play for this season. We’re in the last four of the Youth Alliance Cup, the last eight of the U18s PDL, there’s still a lot of football to be played in the league and we aren’t going to just throw it in now because of a bump in the road.”
The U18s travel to Northampton on December 20th for their next match in the EFL Youth Alliance.
Words by: Liam Wilmot
