Match Reports

YOUTH REPORT:LUTON TOWN U18s 0-1 CAMBRIDGE UNITED U18s

The Hatters youth team boss Inigo Idiakez praised his strikers' work ethic in training yesterday as they seek a way to find the target more often to convert the number of chances being created for them.

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The Town Under-18s went down to another narrow defeat in the EFL Youth Alliance South-East Division on Saturday morning at Ely Way, losing 1-0 to Cambridge United.

The visitors scored early in a second half in which the Hatters' youngsters missed another penalty, this time taken by Corey Panter, and Idiakez's lads couldn't find a way back into the game despite playing some good football.

Speaking after training yesterday morning, the professional development phase lead coach told lutontown.co.uk: "I have to say that we played really well. We created plenty of chances but unfortunately at the moment, we aren't scoring goals.

"We missed a penalty in the second half, but in terms of positives, I think the most important thing firstly is that we created chances.

"I think the lads have to work as hard as possible, and they are doing that. I am quite happy with the attitude and the shape and with the desire to try to win games, which is important.

"Today for example, they have trained well, so it's about getting the right direction for trying to win games, and I think we are trying to do it, but unfortunately right now we are not scoring goals, that is the main thing at the moment."

The Spanish coach added: "The whole team did quite well. Cambridge didn't create much, so we were working quite well as a team to restrict them."Jake Peck did really well in the middle of the park, trying to read the game and trying to make the team play good football. The two centre-backs – Joe Mead and Corey – were brave as well.

"The full-backs were good going forward and backwards, and Drew Richardson did quite well in the first half, creating chances, getting into the box, reading the game.

"But then I think we have to ask a bit more of the strikers. In the first nine games we've played, we've scored only four goals. I know it's about the team, but sometimes you have to take responsibility as a striker to try to score more goals.

"We are trying to play out and trying to play good football for them to score, but unfortunately at the moment we are not doing that. The pleasing thing is though that they came in today, they worked really hard, and that's the way to improve."

TOWN U18s v CAMBRIDGE: Parker, James, Mead ©, Panter, Byron (Prince), Peck, Sorunke, Richardson, Neufville, Tomlinson, Shamalo: Subs not used: Read, Belgrove, Ellis, A Jones.

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