Town's Professional Development Phase Coach wants improvements after Walsall defeat
Matt Rains insists Shrewsbury Town's youth team must take full responsibilty for their 1-0 defeat at Walsall on Saturday.The young Shrews were beaten for the first time in the Youth Alliance this season as the Saddlers' Levi Rowley scored an early second-half winner.
Town dominated the opening stages at the Birmingham FA County Headquarters but struggled to find their rhythm after the break.
And Rains, Town's Professional Development Phase Coach, was adamant that Town's second-half performance was not up to standard.
"We were pleased with the first-half performance, but we came out for the second half and Walsall changed their formation which threw us," said Rains.
"In the second half the peformance was not anywhere near the performance to be expected unfortunately.
"Our passes weren't connecting and we didn't get any of our movement patterns going.
"It wasn't really through Walsall's performance that we lost the game, which is the most dissapointing thing.
"It's come down to us and what we've done. In the end it's a mistake that has cost us the goal.
"We said at half-time that if anyone was going to score then it might come from an error.
"We've got to have a little more about us and have players who are prepared to stand up and take responsibility, and put their own stamp on the game.
"We didn't have enough in front of goal to take our chances."
"We didn't capitalise and goals win football matches. We could have gone in at half-time in front."
Rains is now looking for a response from the Under-18s when they host Oldham Athletic in their next Youth Alliance (North West) fixture on Saturday 23 August (12pm kick-off at Lilleshall NSC).
"The games come thick and fast so the boys have got to put in a good performance against Oldham because they're a good team," he said.