Beaglehole Looks For Reaction From City's Youngsters

- Leicester City's Development Squad face Newport County at Rodney Parade on Tuesday (7pm GMT kick-off)
- The quarter-final tie sees City's youngsters face Sky Bet League 2 opposition in the last-eight
- A defeat by Arsenal on Friday night was the Foxes' second reverse in just 16 matches
- Steve Beaglehole says the focus is now on recovering from the setback in a swift manner

The Foxes were beaten by Arsenal in the Premier League International Cup on Friday, only their second taste of defeat in 16 matches across all competitions.

On Tuesday, City's youngsters head to Rodney Parade to tackle Newport County in the Leasing.com Trophy Quarter-Finals which Beaglehole believes is a chance to bounce back.

"You’re never going to keeping winning and winning and winning, we said that when we lost to Blackburn (3-1 defeat in December)," said the Club's Senior Professional Development Phase Coach.

"We’d had a heck of a run, so it does happen. There’s only probably Liverpool’s first team that can keep that going at the moment, so it’s over with, it’s finished.

"We were fantastic on Monday night (a 1-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion), I told them. We were poor [on Friday] and I’ve told them.

"Now we start again and we’ve got an important game on Tuesday and we’ve got to show that we can bounce back and I believe they will.

"It’ll be a different team on Tuesday, but we’ll learn from the mistakes and the key thing for me is that we didn’t really apply ourselves as well as should have done."

However, despite the frustration of losing at Borehamwood FC on Monday, Beaglehole nonetheless found reasons for optimism, chiefly the performances of City's younger players.

Academy star Terell Pennant came off the bench to feature for the Development Squad, while ex-Gunner Vontae Daley-Campbell and Irish centre-back Darragh O'Connor also impressed.

"I think we got a great response, coming out in the second half," he continued. "We changed it tactically, but the second period was how we normally press and get after people.

"The first half, for me, I thought we missed too many tackles. We weren’t moving the ball quickly enough and too many key players were below par. You’re playing against a good side.

"They showed their clinical nature in finishing. Yes, 3-0 is probably harsh because we had a lot of chances, but they took theirs and the second goal was a brilliant strike.

"So, all in all, I think we really got what we deserved if I’m honest because we didn’t go about it the way we have been doing in nearly all the games that we’ve played so far.

"It is about development and I’ve said to them: ‘If you take your foot off it, that’s what can happen because you’re playing at the highest level, playing against top teams’.

"There’s some real positives I thought. Young Terell came on and showed his explosive pace. I was pleased with Vontae when he came on at right full-back.

"Young Darragh, who’s just come out of lower league in Ireland, I thought he equipped himself well."