Norwich City Under-18s’ coach Greg Crane praised the performance of his team as the won the final home game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur.
The team fell behind to a Thomas Bloxham goal after 14 minutes but fought back to lead 2-1 through goals from Joe Duffy and Ken Aboh. The team then conceded a soft equaliser but captain Brad Hills rose highest with 12 minutes to go to nod a Finley Welch cross into the bottom corner to win the match.
It was a victory Greg felt the team deserved. “It was very up and down throughout the game, but I thought there were spells where we had real good control of the ball and we played some nice stuff.
“We nearly scored a brilliant goal in the second half and I was really pleased for the lads because I thought they deserved the victory. Over the course of the game, we had our chances, and I felt the hunger was there from the players.
"They wanted to win, and they were resilient. That something they have learnt. They went 1-0 down and they stayed in the game. Joe Duffy then scores a fantastic goal, and we then go 2-1 up. We gave them a soft goal again but they kept their heads and they kept focused. The captain (Brad Hills) has then stepped up to score a good goal. It was pleasing result as well, because we have been on the wrong end of a few results that we felt should have gone our way, but they didn’t.”
Hills is goal was scored from a set-piece routine and Greg confirmed that the players have been devising their own plays and practicing them in training, so he was pleased that it led to a goal.
“Something we have been doing recently, is that the lads have been creating their own set-piece routines and we have been trying them and seeing if they can work. It was the second phase of one of those.
"The cross that didn’t quite come off, but Finley (Welch) has picked the ball up on the far side and delivered a great ball and Brad, as he does ever so well, attacks it like he wants to score.
"He tells me he should be a centre-forward, I am not so sure, but he attacked the ball well and it was a good header into the far corner. It is good for him to add that string to his bow. To show people that he can score goals, that he can be a threat from set-pieces as well, so all credit to him.”