Elliott Dickman focused on his player’s grit and determination following their defeat at league-leaders Manchester City on Saturday.
Sunderland under-18s approached the game riding high on the crest of a four game unbeaten streak, however within 24 minutes Dickman’s side found themselves 2-0 behind.
While Lorenzo Gonzalez’s first-half brace saw City maintain their unbeaten run in the league, the youth team returned after the midway interval and created a host of golden opportunities which fell to Jake Hackett and Jack Diamond.
Speaking to safc.com, Dickman was defiant in defeat and hailed his players’ spirit to battle away and keep a lid on City’s glittering array of stars.
“It was a tough game and I don’t think we played very well in the first-half if I’m honest,” he said. “We were a little bit lacklustre and probably showed them a bit too much respect.
“We didn’t really do enough in the first-half to put them under pressure but after the break we were pleased and there were some positives to draw on.
“We created some chances and made more of a game from it so there were plenty to take from the game but mainly from the second-half.”
He continued: “We have now got a tough game against Middlesbrough on Saturday and it’s all about trying to get some consistency in our performance.
“Some of our results haven’t been good in the last few months, some have been good and now it’s all about trying to get some consistency into our game.”
