Andy Welsh has heaped praise on the reaction from his players following last Friday’s defeat at Arsenal.
Sunderland under-23s suffered a frustrating evening at Borehamwood last week as the Gunners produced a ruthless display to run out 4-0 winners.
While the Black Cats found themselves one goal behind at the break, Steve Gatting’s side romped through the gears as they netted three goals in quick succession.
However, following a productive week of training at the Academy of Light, Welsh has been pleased with his side as the Lads finely tune preparations for the visit of Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League Cup.
“Every game is difficult and we are preparing well for another physical test," he said. "We have got to stand up to that, get the ball down and make sure we dictate play.
“We have got to make sure we keep possession and try our best to convert some chances when they come our way.
“You have got to earn the right to play and that’s going to be a difficult part. We have got to try to get the ball down, pass it, control possession and look to stamp our mark on the game as quickly as possible.
“We have got to take our chances better and I’m sure we will come out as winners.”
He continued: “We have got to be able to get our shots off when we get the ball into advanced areas and hopefully it can be another positive performance.
“The reaction has been excellent and they have trained very brightly. They have done a lot of finishing this week and we are confident of causing Blackburn a lot of problems on Friday night.”
