Academy Manager sees plusses and minuses against Notts County

- Under-17s begin Youth Alliance Cup campaign
- Academy Manager Leigh Bromby sees progress in third competitive game
- Work to do in defence but team takes step forwards in attacking approach

Huddersfield Town Academy Manager Leigh Bromby took positives from the new-look Under-17 side’s third competitive game as the Youth Alliance Cup campaign got under way against Notts County at PPG Canalside on Saturday morning.

Town’s Young Terriers are still getting accustomed to life as a scholar and still have some work to do on the cohesive elements of the game but showed some real progress in taking what they are learning in training out onto the pitch.

Town started the game well, playing their football in the Notts County half, and looked like they would go on to success when midfielder Seth Meeson’s long-range free-kick levelled things up at 1-1.

However, the team is still learning how to apply the pressing style that is so synonymous with David Wagner’s First Team.

Bromby told htafc.com:

“I’m taking a lot of positives today.

“We’ve worked hard on playing our football in the opposition’s half in training and the first-half on Saturday was the best we’ve done on that front.

“However, we’re still getting to grips with the way that we have to press and defend as a unit. Pressing isn’t an individual task; the idea is to make the opposition play the ball where you want them to by pressing in a structured way as a team. We’re still pressing as individuals at times, so we need to improve the balance and communication.

“The players managed that better in the second-half. We’ll keep working hard in training to give them the tools to take out onto the pitch in games.

“I’m proud that the players are trying to apply what we’re working on together in coaching onto the pitch. It’d be easy to abandon it when it’s hard or results aren’t going your way, but they’re sticking to our identity.”

Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Giosue Bellagambi; Sam Sharrock-Peplow, Mustapha Olagunju, Tom Bamford (c) (Nassim Kherbouche, 46’), George Alfieri (Mohammed Diaby, 46’); Seth Meeson, Tom Bell; Jaheim Headley, Josh Austerfield, Andrew Ijiwole; Kian Harratt

Unused subs
Taylor Annakin, Remi Thompson

Final score
Huddersfield Town U17s 1-3 Notts County

Scorer
Seth Meeson