Head of Coaching Conor Marlin was proud of his young side on Saturday afternoon as they drew 1-1 with Buckley Town.
Kyle Wych equalised for the young Latics team late into the second half with a penalty, but it was a dominant performance that deserved more.
Marlin was pleased with the way the team played, seeing early signs of the work put in on the training pitch.
“We were able to see signs of things we’ve worked on in training which is really pleasing.
“The downside was the finishing was very poor, but on another day, we probably could have had several goals. However, the important thing was that they played how we want them to play and created lots of chances.
“We’re going to keep building on that in the next couple of games, Tuesday night is going to be an extremely tough game against Glossop North End.
“We’ll rotate the team again to make sure we get more minutes in legs and to introduce the first years in gently.”
The game on Saturday was a first for a lot of the players coming up against opposition as physical as Buckley Town.
However, Marlin thinks his players handled themselves well, which was another positive for the coaching staff.
“Physically we did very well and what was particularly pleasing was our work rate.” He commented.
“When you are playing against men you expect them to be stronger.
“Having been able to work hard right to the last minute is very pleasing because it shows the training they have put in. It has went very well during the past two weeks and that’s it starting to pay off.
Despite the performance, Marlin is keen to make sure that the Youth Team don’t let it get to them too much.
He still believes there is a lot of improvement to come ahead of the new season.
“I’m very proud of the way we played, but I don’t want to get too carried away it’s only the second game of pre-season, so there’s still a lot of things that we can work on.
“We could have conceded a couple of goals easily ourselves, but at the same time we should have scored three or four at least.
“Better finishing and defensively being more aware, they are a couple of things we’ll look to improve on in the next couple of weeks in training.
“The general themes that we’re trying to get across in training about how to play through teams was really clear to see and the chances we created, for example with the full-backs overlapping was how we won the penalty.”
The Youth Team so far have played in front of two decent sized crowds for their opening pre-season friendlies.
Marlin is hoping a few fans might be able to get down to Glossop on Tuesday to show the lads some support, but he also believes it’s a new experience that the team can benefit from.
“The Youth Team is all about getting the boys different experiences, playing in front of a crowd is part of it, so hopefully in pre-season and in the league games we’ll get a decent crowd to the games.
“When it comes to FA Youth Cup, hopefully we can get an even bigger crowd, so any supporters who we can get to come down and watch some of these exciting young players in action would be much appreciated.”
Here's another reminder of the Youth Team's pre-season schedule during July for those who wish to show their support:
Tuesday 16 July (7pm KO) – Away
vs. Glossop North End
Saturday 20 July (12pm KO) – Away
vs. Chadderton FC
Tuesday 23 July (7:30pm KO) – Away
vs. Stafford Rangers
Saturday 27 July (1pm KO) – Away
vs. Winsford United
Tuesday 30 July (12:30pm KO) – Away
vs. FC Halifax Town U18's