Jake Hackett has set his sights firmly on a response as Sunderland under-18s prepare for the visit of Stoke City this Saturday.
Spirits are high in the youth team despite an opening day defeat in the U18 Premier League which saw them downed 5-2 at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
With a solid week of training under the lads' belts, Elliott Dickman's side have stepped up their efforts in an attempt to get off to a winning start at home this season.
Despite it being only the second game of the season, Hackett told safc.com its already shaping up to be a pivotal game in the young Black Cats' season as anticipation continues to rise.
"It’s going to be another difficult game against Stoke but it’s important we bounce back, defend better and be a bit more ruthless in the box," he said.
"We had loads of chances especially in the first half so we need to make sure we take our opportunities this Saturday.
"Training has been good this week and we’ve been working on defending, our shape out of possession and where to be in the box and in certain situations."
He continued: "It’s a crucial game for ourselves because we want a response after last Saturday. We’ve set ourselves some objectives in our first six games and this is one of the games which has been highlighted as a key one."
