Toshack hails 'important' three points
Cameron Toshack was pleased to see Swansea City Under-23s register their first victory in this season’s Premier League Cup, but admitted the scoreline was a lot closer than he would have liked.
The young Swans were 2-1 winners over Hull City at Landore on Friday to move off the bottom of Group E and level on points with leaders Wolves.
They made a bright start by scoring twice in the opening 17 minutes through Kees de Boer and George Byers, but were made to hang on after Hull pulled a goal back early in the second half.
Toshack was thrilled to get maximum points on the board, but also praised the visitors for their second-half response which put his side under lengthy spells of pressure.
“The three points were the most important thing tonight,” the under-23s coach said.
“We challenged our young men to make sure they got a victory. On balance, we deserved to win the game, but it was closer than it needed to be.
“We were really pleased to get out of the blocks so quickly. When you start a game well, it certainly reflects that the players have listened to your instruction and applied it.
“I thought we were excellent in the first half and controlled large periods of the game. But, in fairness to Hull, they came out in the second half and asked questions that some of our young men weren’t comfortable with. They deserve a lot of credit for that.”
And Toshack has urged the young Swans to learn from the experience at the midway point of the Premier League Cup group stages.
The under-23s' next match in the competition sees them welcome Oxford United to Landore in January, and the coach is looking forward to resuming his side's challenge.
“I think it’s fair to say that our group can put most teams to the sword when they’re concentrating, disciplined and apply a plan,” he added.
“But when we veer from those things, we start to face challenges and have to deal with adversity.
“It’s a learning experience for our players and they must understand that they have to deal with different challenges that are thrown at them.
“Nevertheless, we got the win and we’re looking forward to the second half of this Premier League Cup campaign.”
