Joe Roberts | The performance warranted the comeback

Swansea City Under-18s coach Joe Roberts felt his side got the result their performance warranted in a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic at the Joma High Performance Centre.

It was a strong performance from the Swans, who were unfortunate to fall 1-0 behind through Shia-Lee Burnham but responded well to finish the first half on the front foot.

A similar pattern followed after the break, but this time Swansea were rewarded. A Harvey Gray brace in the space of four minutes turned the game around before a late Alex Godfrey strike sealed all three points.

The result extends the Swans’ unbeaten home league run to five matches and marks a statement victory over the league leaders, who had previously lost just once this season.

Roberts believes it was an important game in terms of learning how to manage different situations, and was encouraged by the way the side continued to perform strongly after conceding to lay the foundations for their second-half comeback.

“It was a positive performance. From the first minute we set up to try and control the game. Charlton posed a threat in transition and through their physicality, which I thought we dealt with well," said Roberts.

“We said to the boys that we didn’t feel we deserved to be a goal behind, but that’s football - you’ve got to find ways to get yourself back into the game, and they did that. At half-time we told them to stay bright on the ball and that chances would come, and I thought the three goals we scored reflected those messages.

“It’s been a physically and mentally demanding week. We had the highs and lows of the Youth Cup on Wednesday - disappointed to go out, but incredibly proud of the boys. Then today we had a slightly different-looking group for all the right reasons, with players pushing up and gaining different experiences."

It was also a special moment for 14-year-old Damian Dabrowski, who came off the bench with ten minutes remaining to help see out the game in his first appearance for the under-18s side.

Roberts praised the young midfielder, saying he fully deserved his opportunity following strong performances in the younger age groups, and emphasised the importance of showing a clear pathway for emerging players - something he believes is vital to their long-term development.

“I’m really pleased for Darm. We’ve said from the start that selection is based on merit. He’s been performing really well up a couple of age groups with the under-16s and we want to provide those opportunities as part of the pathway into under-18s football.," he added.

“It’s the same with the under-21s - giving younger players exposure is vital for their development. We’ll continue to challenge and expose our high-potential players, and Damian did really well when he came on today.”