Matt Gill says the U23s match against Middlesbrough on Friday evening provides his players with an “ideal scenario” to bounce back.

The youngsters lost their opening game of the Premier League 2 Division 2 season, going down 2-1 to Brighton and Hove Albion at Colney on Monday.

However, with only three full days to prepare for Friday night’s match in the north east, Gill believes the match presents a real chance for his youngsters to show their resolve.

“It’s an ideal scenario for us this week,” he said. “To have another game really quickly, it’s a great opportunity to put a few things right from the stuff we did wrong.

“There were some positives to take from the Brighton game but overall I felt we weren’t as purposeful enough and we didn’t penetrate their defence enough.

“The lads know the things they did wrong on Monday and they know they have an opportunity to bounce back very quickly against Middlesbrough.”

Gills believes playing on Monday and Friday gives the week a “Championship” feel, and he thinks it can only be good for his players.

“The week has been very fast paced,” he added. "There hasn’t been much time to wait for the next game. You can’t have your chin on your chest for too long.

“We have to learn from the disappointment [of last week] very quickly. If you want to learn from failure, it’s great to have an opportunity to do it improve so quickly.”