West ham United U21 coach Steve Potts said conceding two goals in five minutes proved costly as Liverpool secured a 5-0 win on Friday 20 March.
The Merseyside outfit were in rampant mood as they raced to 2-0 lead through goals from Kevin Stewart and Ryan McLaughlin. The Reds went on to score a third before half time as Cameron Brannagan capped of a wonderful one-touch move with a composed finish.
Speaking after the game, Potts said of the defeat: “Everything we spoke about before the game went out of the window. We watched clips of the opposition and the warning signs were there.
“They showed how quick they can be and quick they can hurt you. Before we knew it, we were 2-0 down within five minutes and we had a mountain to climb.”
Into the second half and the Dev Squad came out of the traps with a lot more intensity and desire.
Despite their best efforts however they couldn’t turn openings into any meaningful chances and it was the hosts who put the game to bed through McLaughlin’s second goal of the match and Sergi Canos’ neat turn and finish.
“While we then got into the game a little bit more they still looked more of a threat. We couldn’t handle their pace and a third goal before half time killed the game. Had it been 2-0 you never know.
“In the second half I thought we did better but we gave another two goals away. They were good, they played very similar to the way the first team play. They were swarming after us and they’re tough to play against. This is U21 football and there is clearly another huge step to go to first team football.”
The Dev Squad’s next game is another tough match away at Manchester United on Tuesday 6 April and Potts is hoping for a swift improvement.
“We need to lick our wounds really. Our second half was slightly better because we mixed it up more. We moved the ball better and kept hold of it a bit better. Conceding the fourth goal killed the good stuff that we were doing.”
The Merseyside outfit were in rampant mood as they raced to 2-0 lead through goals from Kevin Stewart and Ryan McLaughlin. The Reds went on to score a third before half time as Cameron Brannagan capped of a wonderful one-touch move with a composed finish.
Speaking after the game, Potts said of the defeat: “Everything we spoke about before the game went out of the window. We watched clips of the opposition and the warning signs were there.
“They showed how quick they can be and quick they can hurt you. Before we knew it, we were 2-0 down within five minutes and we had a mountain to climb.”
Into the second half and the Dev Squad came out of the traps with a lot more intensity and desire.
Despite their best efforts however they couldn’t turn openings into any meaningful chances and it was the hosts who put the game to bed through McLaughlin’s second goal of the match and Sergi Canos’ neat turn and finish.
“While we then got into the game a little bit more they still looked more of a threat. We couldn’t handle their pace and a third goal before half time killed the game. Had it been 2-0 you never know.
“In the second half I thought we did better but we gave another two goals away. They were good, they played very similar to the way the first team play. They were swarming after us and they’re tough to play against. This is U21 football and there is clearly another huge step to go to first team football.”
The Dev Squad’s next game is another tough match away at Manchester United on Tuesday 6 April and Potts is hoping for a swift improvement.
“We need to lick our wounds really. Our second half was slightly better because we mixed it up more. We moved the ball better and kept hold of it a bit better. Conceding the fourth goal killed the good stuff that we were doing.”