Toshack: Quality in the final third proved decisive

4th February

Cameron Toshack believes the lack of a clinical edge in the final third proved costly after Swansea City Under-23s went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Premier League 2 leaders Everton.

The young Swans suffered late heartbreak as Nathan Broadhead’s 83rd-minute strike separated the two sides at the Liberty Stadium.

The development side held their own against the table-toppers for most of the contest, but were made to pay for not turning their chances into goals.

And Toshack has urged his players to learn from the experience.

“Overall, I thought we competed very well and moved the ball the way we wanted to most of the time,” the coach said.

“We got ourselves into some really good situations but, when we did, we didn’t quite make the opportunity count which, as aspiring footballers, is something they must learn.

“That little bit of quality and desire to get on the end of a cross proved decisive in the end. In fairness to Everton, they’re top of the division for a reason and have proven before they can grind results out.

“Again, our undoing is from not defending the box, which is a little bit frustrating because that’s something we’ve spoken to the team about before the game.

“It was a very close encounter and could’ve gone either way, but credit to Everton because they kept going until the last minute and managed to find a finish.”

It was the second consecutive match in which the Under-23s created plenty of opportunities but were unable to find the breakthrough they needed – having endured a similar experience in their 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in the Premier League International Cup 11 days prior.

They are back in action on Friday against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League Cup and Toshack has encouraged his players to focus on the positives ahead of the trip to the Midlands.

“We’ve played two very good teams in our last couple of games and, if you’re competing with them, you’re doing something right,” he added.

“But, they can’t get used to a losing feeling. They have to make sure that they get what they deserve from games.

“The good thing is we have another good game on Friday. The boys have to go away and reflect on the good things they did and try to take them forward.”