AcademyU21s reaction: Doncaster defeat, Will Wright confidence and Jayden Danns fitness
The Reds were beaten 1-0 by the League One side away from home on Tuesday night as Tommi O’Reilly’s goal in the final seconds of the first half made the difference.
Page’s team created several chances, with an instinctive Will Wright long-ranger hitting the crossbar before Doncaster scored and the striker later curling an effort just wide in the second period.
Liverpool have two points from their opening two games and conclude the group phase versus Huddersfield Town next month.
Read the U21s head coach’s reaction to the game below.
On whether he felt the result was harsh…
Frustrated. I don’t think we deserved to lose the game. Disappointed in the goal, in the manner we’ve conceded it and the timing of it. It shows a little bit of naivety on our part. So we’re disappointed with that. And then their ’keeper has made two world-class saves. We created chance after chance second half. The change of shape definitely helped us and I thought we were a constant threat in the second half.
On Wright’s audacious effort that hit the crossbar…
That’s the place he’s in at the minute, he’s full of confidence. The technique to even consider taking on that opportunity is something. It was moments like that, they were the only things we had in the game first half, we didn’t really create that many chances. By changing the shape, defensively as well, in turn gave us that extra body in the middle of the park to match their four. I thought we were much better second half, the much better team in the second half and then we created more chances. But that final decision again in the final third, that final action, let us down a little bit.
On taking lessons from games in this competition…
That’s the level they want to get to. This is real football. That’s what they’re going to face if they go into league football, week in, week out. It’s so beneficial for many reasons but that in particular. Up against the big centre-forward, that’s the physicality they’re going to need to cope with week in, week out, two games a week. So, it’s a great test for them.
On Oliver O’Connor’s versatility for the team…
He’s given us another solid performance. I thought the two boys from the first team, Chambo [Luke Chambers] and Macca [James McConnell], were excellent. Again, second half I thought some of Chambo’s passing into Macca in the pockets was excellent and we took more control of the second half because of that.
On Jayden Danns not being involved on the night…
He pulled out of training last week, he just felt something and wasn’t quite comfortable. We’re not going to take any chances, there’s no need at all. He’s trained. He’s been training but we didn’t think it was a risk we wanted to take. He’s fit, he’s training and we thought it was better for him to have two training days than to come and have half an hour, 45 minutes in this game.