Nicky Eaden assesses his side's victory against Non-League Alvechurch FC at Lye Meadow...
Nicky Eaden was pleased with his side’s first-half display as they comfortably beat Non-League neighbours Alvechurch in the Birmingham Senior Cup.
Dion Kelly-Evans and a Jordan Shipley brace was enough for the Under-23s to record a routine victory against a motivated opposition.
Eaden admitted he expected more from this side's second-half display, but that the game was a good test for his young charges. He said: “I thought first half we were very good and moved the ball really well.
“Second half we got a little ragged and let them back into the game almost through a lack of concentration. I told them not to be afraid of continuing to do the simple things because it was effective during the first 45 for us.
“We let them off the hook because in the first half we controlled almost every part of the game and looked threatening throughout. It was just the final pass that could have been improved.”
Eaden was overseeing the U23s side for the first time since he took the reigns in the senior setup - assisting Mark Venus in the first-team dugout. He commented on his side's ability to combat the physicality of lower league opposition.
He added: “I am not bothered at what level they play at, if anything, it is a good challenge because they pose different problems to what they usually face. We asked Finch and Harries to deal with the type of physicality they wouldn’t usually come up against.
“Typical for a Non-League side, they have a big number nine, big centre-halves, so we had to be careful from set-plays, learn not to give silly fouls away and deal with aerial balls.
“I do think they could have done better dealing with that side of the game, but it is a great learning curve as they need to have that going forward in the professional game.”