GRAEME Murty says his Under-18s side must use Saturday's 7-0 defeat against league leaders Chelsea as a learning experience going forward.

A costly spell in the first half left the Canaries with a huge mountain to climb as their hosts scored four goals in 18 minutes through Miro Muheim, Ike Ugbo, Joseph Colley and Charlie Wakefield.

City were better after the half-time break but Muhein bagged Chelsea’s fifth with a penalty on the hour mark before Mukhtar Ali and Ugbo completed the scoring.

"As a staff, it’s vital that we tell them that failure isn’t fatal. These things happen, they have to learn. As long as it’s a learning experience, then we can use it," Murty told canaries.co.uk.

"Initially it was very hard to be objective about the game because emotions were running high. We have to caveat everything by saying they are the best team I’ve seen at that level. I’ve never seen a team of that age play at high a tempo and technical level as that.

"After 20 minutes I was really pleased, and then they scored four goals. They were incredibly ruthless, and it showed the ultimate quality that they had.

"I said at half-time that the game was gone but that I was looking for a response from them, and they responded to it. The hard part is that they can do everything you ask of them but Chelsea have the capacity to elevate their game."

Murty, who took charge of the age-group in the summer, admits that the result hit his staff and his players hard - but that he was encouraged by the honesty in the response from his squad.

"We’ve come away from the game, all of us, doing a little bit of soul-searching. From my own point of view, I reflected on what I could have done differently to impact the team in a positive way," he added.

"The best part for me was that on the way back I sat on the back of the bus and had a chat with the lads, and they were really open and honest about how it felt for them.

"That’s a really important part: what they were feeling. I can see what they’re doing and trying, but you can’t get inside their heads unless they open up, and they did.

"They were honest about how difficult it was and what they think they can do better. That’s really good for me because they’ve already gone into the learning and evaluation process."

The youngsters are next in action against Arsenal this Saturday, November 7 at Colney Training Centre (11am).

NORWICH CITY: Hale-Brown; Ramsay, Lewis, Walters (Black 45), Wallis, Crowe, McIntosh, Sambu (Boateng 64), Couzens, Jaiyesimi (Syme 64), Ashley-Seal. Subs not used: Oxborough (GK), Ellesley.

REPORT: CHELSEA 7-0 U18s

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