Youth Team Boss highlights work ethic and discipline after ending Blackpool's unbeaten run...
Neil Woods was full of praise for his young Saddlers side after they won 2-0 against an undefeated Blackpool to go top of the table.Chances were few and far between in the first half but an Ethan Freemantle goal just before the break and a half time team talk opened the game up in second period for the Saddlers to finish off the travelling Tangerines.
“The work ethic, the discipline and the understanding of where they should be on a football pitch was very pleasing,” Woods explained. “It was a bonus with the goal just before half time. Ethan took it very well.”
“I thought we opened the game up second half.”
“We talked at half time about how organised we was and the distances between the units were good but we weren’t releasing to go and press the ball.”
“In the second half we started a little bit higher, we pushed the wide players on and that then allowed space for the creative players like Shorrock and Cela who basically ran the second half.”
Woods was particularly in praise of his centre half Dan Vann.
“Dan Vann was the best player on the pitch for me,” said Woods. “We were unsure whether to play him because of a niggling ankle injury but the way he trained on Thursday and Friday left us no choice.
“At the moment, he epitomizes the spirit the lads have got.
“Four clean sheets in the past four games speak for itself at any level and I thought he was awesome today.
“The lad upfront for them is a big unit and I believe he is scoring some goals but his body language with twenty minutes to go was quite disillusioned.
“Dan’s one of them players at the moment where everywhere we go people talk about him afterwards.
“I think they look at him and think they’ve got a chance but at the end they always say I like your number 5.
“Dan Vann is a good prospect for this football club.”