Northampton Town Under 18s coach Shane Goddard believes there are positives to take from his side’s 3-1 defeat to Excelsior on Tuesday.
The young Cobblers took an early lead through Kai O’Keeffe’s penalty, but the hosts came from behind to secure victory with three goals before half-time in the opening fixture of the youth team’s Dutch pre-season tour.
Goddard says his team improved as the match went on.
“We weren’t at the races in the first half despite a positive start,” he said.
“We struggled to adapt to their shape and how they moved the ball.
“But I thought we were excellent in the second half.
“We tweaked the system and got personnel into better areas higher up the pitch.
“We were much better with and without the ball and caused some real problems.
“It was a good, competitive opening fixture for us and it gets more minutes under our belts against different opposition.
“There’s so much to learn from today, and there were lots of positives to take so we can’t be disappointed.”
The youth team take on De Graafschap in the second fixture of their tour on Saturday.