Northampton Town Under 18s manager Jon Brady says his team needed more quality in the final third as they lost 1-0 to Cambridge United on Saturday.
The narrow defeat in wet conditions meant that the Cobblers youngsters were handed their second consecutive EFL Youth Alliance League loss.
Speaking after the match, Brady said: “The boys were competitive, and we battled really well.
“It was more of a battle today because of the conditions.
“Neither team showed much quality and there were hardly any chances.
“The boys worked very hard after they scored and fought their way back into the game.
“We just didn’t get enough shots or crosses in and we needed more quality in the final third.”
The Cobblers youth team host AFC Wimbledon this coming Saturday, and Brady added: “Going into the next game, we’ll try and get over today.
“The rebuild starts on Monday and we’ll look at where we can be better offensively next week.”