U23s Update

U23s Manager Josh Falkingham gives his assessment of his side’s season so far and looks ahead to more potential first team debuts…

It has been an excellent start to the season, we have shown the winning mentality that I have asked for each week.

We’ve had a few home games which has given a chance for first team players returning from injury or needing game time to be involved, which has been great for my squad to learn from.

Seeing what the first team lads do and how they go about their business has been great for them, as a young lad when you want to get their respect and I am sure they have done that.

I always ask for the intensity to be there, especially off the ball and when we have really been at it we have been outstanding, teams have not been able to live with us.

Going forward we have been excellent in our patterns of play and off the ball movement; the stand out has been Aaron Haswell if I had to single one out, his work rate off the ball has allowed him to get in positions and areas where he has been able to finish, he’s really been everything that we have been looking for and he has set the bar for work ethic.

Both wingers, James Richardson and Edson Prata have got goals which is good to see, they have been getting in the box and finishing, while the lads at the back have been really solid too, so collectively the whole unit have been hard to fault.

We now have to continue to concentrate on ourselves, win, lose, or draw as long as we give everything that is what matters to me and hopefully we can continue the run we are on.

As well as the league, we want to go as far as we can in the County Cup, that is the real test for us.

The win over Bradford Park Avenue was great for all those that were involved in the squad, the three who started, Harry Clark, Dan Hartley and Soni Fergus all came through with flying colours.

Hopefully there will be more opportunities in the next round for some of my U23 players to get more first team experience.
 
As well as Town, many of our U23s play for different clubs in the non-league pyramid, a full list of current players and their clubs can be found here... 
 
Joe Wilton – 19 – Harrogate Railway
Jordan Myers – 19 – Knaresborough Town Reserves
 
Soni Fergus – 18 – Pickering Town
Dan Hartley – 18 – Albion Sports
Harry Clark – 18 – Knaresborough Town Reserves
Jordan Chippendale – 19 – Albion Sports
 
Josh Wicks – 18 – Knaresborough Town Reserves
Carl Robinson – 19 – Glasshoughton Welfare
 
Aaron Haswell – 19 – Ossett United
Panos Katsamagkas – 20 – Ossett United