CITY's Under-18s fell just short of a stunning comeback against Stoke City on Saturday, with Professional Development Coach Alan Neilson praising their second half performance.

The Canaries were three goals behind at half-time but responded well after the break, even though they couldn't add an equaliser to George Couzens' (pictured) and Giovanni Da Costa's goals.

Stoke held on for a 3-2 victory at the Club's Colney Training Centre, but Neilson felt City's youngsters were unfortunate not to complete the turnaround.

"Football is a game of two halves and this was very much a game of two halves," he told canaries.co.uk. "In the first half we weren't really at it. We didn't press them well enough and we didn't keep the ball well enough.

"A few words were said at half-time and the reaction from the players was really good. When you're getting beaten 3-0 at half-time, you say that you've got to win the second half.

"The next goal was really important and we got it, and we pushed them all the way in the end and we were a bit unlucky not to get an equaliser."

Neilson believes that the second half performance demonstrated that the group has the right mentality, adding: "It was really good to see the players' response.

"It was about how they reacted after a little bit of adversity, but they bounced back.

"It was a mountain to climb at 3-0 down, but they nearly climbed the mountain and were unlucky at the end."

NORWICH CITY: Beauchamp; Sambu (Jaiyesimi 63), Catton, Pollock, Syme, Wallis, Higgs (Payne 68), Black, Couzens (c), Aransibia, Da Costa. Subs not used: Hale-Brown (GK).

REPORT: U18s 2-3 STOKE CITY

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