Beaglehole Highlights EFL Trophy's Benefits
- Leicester City's Development Squad exited the Papa John's Trophy after a 4-2 reverse at Tranmere Rovers on Wednesday
- Coach Steve Beaglehole credited the Club's youngsters to advancing further than any other youth side
- The performances of Jakub Stolarczyk and Thanawat Suengchitthawon were pleasing, Beaglehole added
After becoming the only youth side to reach the third round of the EFL Trophy, City were beaten 4-2 by an experienced Sky Bet League 2 opponent in Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.
Morgan Ferrier put the home side ahead after four minutes, before Jacob Wakeling's equaliser for the Foxes, but Tranmere were back in front 60 seconds later through Danny Lloyd.
Another effort from Lloyd and Corey Blackett-Taylor's strike after the interval put the tie beyond Leicester's youngsters, but Thanawat Suengchitthawon was still able to find the net for the visitors.
Speaking afterwards, Senior Professional Development Phase Coach Beaglehole isolated areas for improvement, but also highlighted the side's progress in the competition.
"As a whole, it’s been a great competition for us," he told LCFC TV at full-time in Birkenhead. "We were the only Under-21s side left in it at this stage, which is an achievement.
"We tried to make it a real big night, like a cup final, and we meant it. It would have been a great achievement anything that happens after it doesn’t really matter.
"We built it up as a really big game and, after four minutes, we’ve got a bigger task. If you’re going to win games and go into the last-eight of competitions, you’ve got to defend better."
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk received praise at full-time, alongside Suengchitthawon, as Beaglehole looked for the positives in City's performance.
"I thought Jakub was brilliant again," he continued. "He’s had to make some unbelievable saves because players have allowed other players to get into good scoring positions.
"I was really pleased with him and Than (Suengchitthawon). I thought he showed bravery. He’s certainly not the most physical of players in our team.
"Considering looking at the players he was up against, he was brave, he got on the ball and scored a good goal. He wanted it and things happened when he got it.
"All in all, it was a game we could have done a lot better in. If we’d have kept it at 1-1 for a bit longer, it might have been a different ball game, but in the end it was too much for us."