Under 23s boss Alan Neilson guided his team to a four-nil victory over third place Stoke in tonight’s Premier League 2 Division 2 fixture.
“The pitch was very lively so we had to change our tactics a little bit and we asked our players to work hard, scrap and battle. The first goal just summed up the whole game with the hard work from both Tony Flynn Clarke, who ran in from about 25 yards out.”
“The defenders were nice and aggressive, playing a high line, and the midfield players worked really well with everyone. We battled and scrapped and I don’t think Joe Rose had many shots to deal with.
City went into the game level on points with Stoke, but are now five points clear from the play-off drop zone.
“The performance from the players was really good, it was really pleasing for all the coaches.
I think the early part of the game was a bit like a chess game, we had the ball, they had the ball, they were switching play, we were switching play. We then changed the formation a little bit, got on top, got the goal – the first goal in all games is important.”
City went in at half time just one up, but controlled the second half and put four more past the Stoke defence.
“We’ve got two games at Carrow Road coming up, and it’ll be great to see the fans there. We just take each game at a time and if we get enough points, the play-offs are a great place to be. The players want to play there, hopefully they’ll one day play there in the first team.
“We’re getting on the coach now, we’ve got a four-hour journey back but they’re happy, they’re playing their music. They’ve performed, they’ve battled, scrapped, had quality at the right times. Tonight, has showed if you do all that for each other, the result will take care of itself.”