FOLLOWING their agonising FA Youth Cup shoot-out defeat by Norwich City last week Everton under-18s will be keen to get back on track this weekend.
Neil Dewsnip’s side lost 3-1 in the shoot-out after a 1-1 extra-time draw on Thursday, but they now return to concentrate on the FA Premier Academy League when they face Wolverhampton at Finch Farm this Saturday (11am).
Everton notched a superb 3-2 victory over neighbours Liverpool in the derby clash in their last league outing and Dewsnip will be hoping for more of the same this weekend to banish any post Youth Cup blues.
Dewsnip hopes his side can gain the right experience despite their defeat.
He said: “It was very disappointing to go out like that. It was unfortunate. The pitch was very difficult for both teams which meant the level of football wasn’t what I think both teams would have hoped for. We had something like 10 excellent chances to score and they had two, so again it was similar problems we have had all year of not scoring enough goals. We were very solid at the back and after a wonderful free-kick from Lee McArdle in extra-time we were hopeful of going through.
“But a real unfortunate mistake by our goalkeeper Adam Davies got them level. It is something he will probably never do again in his career, but he will learn from it. In penalties you win a few and lose a few.
“Unfortunately we lost this one. But if any of them go on to reach the dizzy heights of World Cups, European Championships or in European competitions, penalty shoot-outs are a fact of life which from both England point of view we know about and from an Everton point of view with Fiorentina last season.”
And on their return to Academy League action, Dewsnip added: “The focus is now on the league.”
Nathan Craig suffered a back injury during the warm-up in the Youth Cup clash and also had to pull out of the Wales under-21s squad after being called up for the first time last week.
