Charlton Athletic 7 Cambridge United 0
Cambridge United's Under 18's crashed out of The FA Youth Cup to London Academy Charlton Athletic at Welling United in the Third Round Proper.
Having won five games already in this season's competition and defeating two Football League clubs en route to the third round, Charlton had too much for the young U's on the night and Mark Bonner, Youth Team Manager gives cambridgeunited.com the story of the night:
This wasn't the performance we prepared for or expected. We knew the challenge was bigger than any we had faced yet in gaining our previous five victories, but frustratingly, this group of players is capable of better.
This game has been analysed to the core and whilst we certainly aren't suggesting that we expected a comfortable nights work, we did expect better.
Charlton Athletic have been, and continue to be, a strong and productive youth policy within the Academy system under the management of Steve Avory and now also Paul Hart.
We share common traits. They believe in producing home grown players and giving them first team opportunities. They invest time, care and finance in this area of the club. They, even in dire financial times, have stuck to this philosophy and continued backing the Academy. This is where we are the same.
Despite the unfortunate slide of their first team down the leagues, they have continued to be backed financially by The FA, Premier League and Football League. We are not so fortunate. But having 'weathered the storm', things are looking up...........
The Addicks were able to field a strong team, packed full of experienced Academy level players, some with Reserve team football experience and international experience. This we knew, and relished the challenge.
Charlton smelt blood when they took the lead in the second minute and hunted for more. We were shaky, nervous and disjointed. This wasn't the team we were in the earlier rounds. We could offer excuses, we won't.
We simply didn't perform anywhere near the technical level required to compete in such a game. More disappointingly, we lacked mental toughness. This is criminal.
This is the final time half of the team will be able to play in this competition, however, our first year scholars will get another chance. More importantly, these experiences are sent to make us stronger and educate us.
A second goal just before the half time interval made our task much more difficult. We were forced into changes too, with Liam Hurst having limped through the first half with a dead leg picked up as early as the tenth minute. This was a loss.
Our first half performance lacked intelligence and lacked quality, we hoped for a huge improvement second half. Unfortunately, we didn't get it.
We enjoyed very limited spells of possession with the ball and never created enough chances when the potential to do so arrived. Charlton's athleticism continued to cause us major problems in the second half with a quick, powerful attacking five or six relentlessly attacking us.
Charlton have a good side, we had a bad night. But we allowed the game to be taken from us, we invited pressure, and we gifted goals. So much of our bad play was preventable.
The glut of goals in the mid spell of the second half was poor, weak and we lacked character. I never want to accuse us of being soft, but all too often I do. This will change. This is the eye-opener. This is the reality. This is the education.
Decisions are being made on our current crop of second year scholars with three players having already been informed that we will not be offering them a development contract at the end of the season. Therefore, Martin Trunca, Luke Hannant and Lewis Smith will be leaving the club at Christmas and we wish them all the best for the future.
The other second year scholars will be informed in the New Year on completion of their college course. This will increase the game time of the first year scholars in the Ridgeons League and give them maximum opportunity to progress to the level required.
The demands at the club are increasing all the time and the standards being set mean that we need our scholars to respond if they are to be successful in being offered a third year and a place in the first team squad.
That group now have to learn the lessons of their first six months with us and use the remaining 18 months of their scholarship to work towards a development contract. They recognise the distance they have to go in order to be good enough and the hard work, application and attitude they must show to give themselves the best chance of achieving this aim.
Mark Bonner
Cambridge United: YOUR CITY - YOUR CLUB
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