U18 head coach Sam Tillen says his side will have plenty of learning to take from Friday’s performance against Bradford City.
The young Imps were beaten 3-1 by the Bantams after a slow start in the first half proved costly, and Tillen is aware of what needs to change moving forwards.
He said: “There’s some good learning to take from the game but we need to solve situations faster, react a little quicker and maybe identify some movements on the pitch a little sooner.
“Individual performances were the positive, but the aim is to create a collective that allows everyone to flourish. It’s down to me to make sure everyone flourishes next week and that’s the task at hand.”
Denny Oliver’s penalty gave the side some hope of a fightback before Bradford scored their third with three minutes remaining to secure the points. However, the head coach is pleased with the performances of his goalkeeper and goalscorer.
Tillen added: “We managed to regroup a little at half time and came out in a better manner and I thought we managed to get back into the game through Denny’s penalty. We then had a couple of chances to maybe equalise, but by pushing forwards, we get caught and that kills the game off.
“I think Issac goes a little under the radar, but the double save he made at the start of the game was top class and he’s been a consistent performer all season. Denny also played very well today, even in the first half when we were struggling a little bit – he was calm and composed and showed some real quality.”