Grimsby test a good lesson for Under-17s

- Huddersfield Town Under-17s return to development programme
- Lessons in decision making to be taken from 2-0 loss to Grimsby Town
- Coach Jon Worthington pleased with progression of his Young Terriers

Huddersfield Town’s Under-17s again put into practice their problem solving in match conditions in the latest EFL Youth Alliance game of the season at Grimsby Town on Saturday.

Focusing on decision making when playing out from the ‘keeper, they found themselves under the cosh at times in the first half as the hosts pressed high.

In the end a couple of mistakes, brought about by the risk of playing out from the goalkeeper, proved costly and led to goals in the 31st and 44th minute for Grimsby in a two-goal defeat.

After the break there were signs of improvement for the Young Terriers, creating some good chances that led to Gulutte Zunda forcing a good save and Ben Midgley hitting the crossbar twice, so were unfortunate to not get at least a goal for their efforts.

Under-17s Coach Jon Worthington recognised his side came up short in the first half when it came to their decisions on the ball but was overall happy with the second half reaction and knows what is to be rectified in the upcoming training sessions.

“I’m a little bit disappointed to be honest,” he said.

“Whereas last week we played to the conditions at Chesterfield and made good decisions with the ball, this week I’d say it was a little bit the opposite.

“Sometimes it’s about decision making on the ball, that’s the level the boys are at now, and they’ve got to make the right decisions depending on a number of things like the opposition, the pitch, the environment, and those are the things they can learn from today.

“The goals conceded are part of the risk when working on the build, and that’s another reason why today will be a good review.

“We know how we want to play and how we want to build, but it’s about the boys showing their understanding and learning in terms of when is the right time to do that, it’s decision making and problem solving and that’s something where we’ve just come short today.

“We didn’t really match them for effort and application, lost some individual battles but I thought there was a decent reaction after half time. We got a bit more of a foothold, played some decent football in tough conditions and hit the bar a couple of times, but unfortunately the damage was done in the first half.”

Worthy will now take his group into the next stage of their decision-making work, this time shifting their focus from building from the back to creating chances.

“Now it is just a continued theme of problem solving for the lads, but we’ll probably step up into that create phase of play, looking at right times to penetrate teams and other aspects of the game in that area of the field.”

Town’s under-17 team vs Grimsby Town (4-3-3)

Michael Roxburgh; Luke Daley (Roshan Iha-Millwood 63’), Ernaldo Krasniqi, Josh Okpolokpo, Tom Bamford (Loick Ayina 63’); Ben Midgley ©, Brahima Diarra, Myles Bright; Robson Shipley, Darnel Baxter-Alleyne, Gulutte Zunda

Final score

Grimsby Town 2-0 Huddersfield Town Under-17s