Mark Robson believes the difference between his West Ham United U21s and Manchester City was simply that the home side took their chances to score.
The U21s fell to a 4-1 defeat at the City Academy Stadium on Saturday but the scoreline far from reflected the performance put in by the Irons.
Despite the score being level at half-time, the visitors were left rueing missed opportunities by Remy Coddington and Regan Clayton. Pierre Ekwah would score from the penalty spot in the second, while Will Greenidge would also go close.
“I thought we did really well in the first half and we had the better chances,” Robson said. “We didn’t convert them and that ends up being the difference, because Manchester City take theirs in the second half.
“We could have come in two goals up at half-time. We played well in the first half, we defended well. They had loads of possession and they’re a good side, but to lose 4-1 is a bit disappointing. We were 2-1 down with ten minutes to play and we threw a bit of caution to the win as we tried to get an equaliser, and we ended up opening ourselves up a bit.”
The lead coach admitted the development team looked tired at the end of the second half, which he feels contributed to the two late goals scored by Manchester City.
“I do think with the game on Tuesday as well, and travelling, the lads looked a bit tired. Manchester City are so good at keeping the ball that you can end up chasing shadows. It’s disappointing because we were so good in the first half but, in the second, we just ran out of steam.”
There were positives for the Hammers, however, as Lennon Peake returned to competitive action for the first time in two seasons after a lengthy spell out with injury, while Patrick Kelly earned his first minutes at U21s level.
Robson was thrilled to get the duo on the field in Saturday’s fixture.
He continued: “It was nice for Lennon. He’s had a real tough time of it with injuries and there’s still a way to go for him but it was nice to get him out there and give him some time in the game.
“We also got Patrick on towards the back end of the game and it was a nice introduction to Premier League 2 for him, and gave him a chance to see what the level is.
“This is the level and I’d ideally like for us to be like this Manchester City team. This is where we want to get to. It’s a good marker for us to see where we are.”
