We won 3-2 pretty entertaining game.
Great to see Sam Ryan open the scoring for us. He was the lad who broke his leg at Illogan a year ago yesterday, its been a long road for him but since coming back just after Christmas he has looked stronger, fitter and faster in every game I've seen him in. He has got a great attitude, an all round class act and was always a goal threat before his injury so really pleased for him to score on the main pitch. It was nice to see how all the other lads celebrated with him as well.
Callum Rose scored an own goal which was a real shame as he was playing really well up to then but credit it to him, he only allowed himself a couple seconds to wallow in it, then he has picked himself up, he is getting others around him to pick themselves up, put it out his head and played exemplary for the rest of the game. I thought he looked very captain like again today and I've lost count the number of times I have thought that the past couple of months. I've said it before but he has come out of nowhere this season. This time last year not many people were talking about him. A string of impressive performances in both the SWPL and U18s made more and more people sit up and notice him and before you know it he is on the bench against Liverpool and the only apprentice who went to Spain. None of that has gone to his head and it doesn't look like he has felt any pressure because of it either. I think he will handle the pressure when he makes his first-team debut, which I think now is a case of when not if. Incidentally was my vote for YPOTY.
We went 1-2 down Battle then scored another quality goal, had a busy game was doing a lot of hard work but without much to show for it but you always expect he will find a goal from somewhere when he is playing like that. Then Bill Craske, who I thought changed the momentum of the game when he came on, with a spectacular goal, got his laces through it, with pace and accuracy then we absorbed all their late pressure, Mike Cooper pulled off a couple of crucial saves.
Elsewhere I thought Dan Rooney battled admirably it was the area of the pitch they were exploiting but he was putting himself about, skilfully worked his way out of a lot of tricky situations. Another really mature performance from Jordan, I think any concerns I may have had about whether he would be mentally strong enough to make it have all but gone he seems to have got that under control but without losing anything to the character of his game. He will always wear his heart on his sleeve, that's his personality, I like that, its what makes him interesting to watch and I feel he is now channelling his emotions more effectively. Connor McAuley putting in a real shift again bursting with energy.
Eight of the nine second year apprentices started that game today (Aaron Taylor the only one not to who is out injured) If that is their last game all together its a nice way for them to end it on, Stevenage are no mugs either I think I heard someone say they were second in the league.