Under-18s coach Greg Crane praised the performance of his side despite a 3-2 loss at home to Stoke City in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.
The Canaries raced into a 2-0 lead, but ended up trailing 3-2 at half-time before controlling large spells of the second half without really testing the Stoke City keeper.
“We came out of the blocks flying,” said Greg. “I thought the lads were really on point in what we tried to do and what we tried to get out of them, especially the front three. Ken (Aboh) scored his first goal of the season which was really pleasing because you know what strikers are like they always want to score and they think if they are not scoring; they are not playing well, which wasn’t the case. Oscar (Thorn) scored as well and we started the game really well. I just felt we then rushed things after that.
“We panicked a little bit and we played too direct out from the back. Then we just dropped off a little bit and gave them two soft goals and it was 3-2 at half-time.
“Second half I felt we came out and we controlled the game, but we just couldn’t find that moment. That one little bit of care that we needed to show to go on and win the game. So, it is frustrating for the lads; and they are obviously disappointed.
“But, I said to them in the dressing room that they can hold their heads up high. There is a way to go out and that is not with a whimper that is rolling your sleeves up, trying to dop what we ask and try and play the right way and I think that they did that. For their effort and application, I can’t fault that.”
Greg also added that the players will be stronger for having gone through that experience of surrendering a two-goal lead on the big stage.
“That is a habit we have had as a group this season, in that we concede too many goals straight of the back of another one,” he said.
“They have got to learn game management and how they see things, but they are only going to learn that when things like tonight happen. I know it is not nice to happen on the big stage, under the flood lights at Carrow Road but again it is a great learning opportunity for each individual out there.”