Beaglehole Praises Dominant Development Squad

- Beaglehole asked the Foxes to replicate the first team’s style of play after a goalless first period 

- Goals from Nathan Dyer and Jak McCourt earned City a 2-1 Barclays U21 Premier League win 

After guiding his side to a 2-1 Barclays U21 Premier League victory over Reading, Steve Beaglehole credited the Development Squad’s dominant second-half performance. 

The visiting Royals proved hard to break down in the first period and despite first teamers Andrej Kramarić and Nathan Dyer both going close, City couldn’t break the deadlock. 

Dyer’s attacking prowess did pay dividends in the second half though, as the lively wideman timed his run at the back post well before converting from close range. 

Jak McCourt doubled City’s lead on 57 minutes and while Reading did find the back of the net through Rowan Liburd with a minute to play, Beaglehole said his side thoroughly deserved the victory. 

“I’m delighted,” Beaglehole told Foxes Player HD. “We’ve had a tough run to say the least. We set the lads the task of three straight wins against Reading, Villarreal and Norwich and that’s one of them. 

“I was really pleased that we won the game. We got a little bit nervy at the end – they scored with a few minutes left and we knew they’d have a go at us after that. 

“Having said that, our second-half performance merited a victory. We played some really good football in the second half.” 

At half-time, Beaglehole asked his players to draw from the first team’s positive style of play in order to go on and win the game – a feat they achieved thanks to two strikes in just five second-half minutes. 

He added: “We told the lads to take a leaf out of the first team’s book by getting down the sides more and pressing them when it’s on to press. 

“To be fair, the lads did that. In the second half we played with a lot more tempo and we created more, and when you create more, the chances are you’re going to score more – that’s exactly what happened. 

“What we say at half-time sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. We told the players that they’re the ones who will make it happen and they certainly did that.”