Celtic B coach Darren O’Dea was left very impressed with his young Hoops team following their match against Lazio U19s on Wednesday.
A late Mackenzie Carse goal was enough to earn the youngsters a 1-1 draw against the Italians and pick up their first group point after the defeat to Feyenoord on matchday one.
This tournament is an important learning experience for these young players and O’Dea was delighted with the efforts of his team, with their second-half display said to have been strong in particular.
The Irishman said [CelticFC.com]: “I was absolutely delighted with the performance, both me and Stephen (McManus) are. Just in every aspect of it. I thought in the first half, we knew it was going to be a game where the ball was king. It was going to be difficult when you didn’t have it. So it was really important when you did have the ball to keep it. There were also times out of possession where I thought we were really disciplined and limited Lazio to very little chances.
“When we were in possession, we were really, really good. We created a number of opportunities. What we have seen at this level countless times now is that small moments or errors get punished kind of either way. In the first half, a small error on our part allows them to get on top, but the reaction from the players is all we can ask for and probably wobbled us for five minutes. After that they just reset, and had the courage in the second half to go and take the performance on to another level was fantastic.
“From minute one to the end of the game, it was a brilliant game of football. Lazio are a top side, no doubt about it. But we were every bit as good as them, and I’d argue better for large spells of the game. So the point was the least we deserved, and I’m so, so proud of every single one of them. Whether that be the ones on the bench or those who didn’t come on too. You can’t put performances in like that unless you’ve got a strong group.”
The Young Hoops’ schedule mirrors Celtic’s in the competition so a tricky double-header against Atletico Madrid is up next. This point was something to build on.
Both O’Dea and McManus will be eager for their young charges to attack the rest of the group with confidence after demonstrating they can compete against a side like Lazio.
Hopefully, by the end of the group, they at least see improvement in the team that stands them in good stead for the remainder of the season. That’s what these matches are all about.
In other news, The Hearts explanation for shockingly low Celtic Tynecastle ticket allocation.
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