Everyone Is Feeling The Pain, Says Petty

- Leicester's Under-21s were defeated 3-1 by Tottenham Hotspur on Friday evening
- Joe Wormleighton scored City's only goal at Lamex Stadium
- The young Foxes remain bottom of Premier League 2 Division 1 
- Ben Petty says the team are disappointed to lose such a key match

On Friday evening, Leicester's Under-21s faced off against fellow Premier League 2 Division 1 strugglers Tottenham at Lamex Stadium and were beaten 3-1 on the night.

First-half goals from Alfie Devine and Malachi Fagan-Walcott guided Spurs on their way to three points, before Romaine Mundle added a third, and the coach was frustrated to lose a crucial game. 

"We were much better in the second half," Petty told LCFC TV. "I thought we took the game to Tottenham. I'm really disappointed to lose obviously, there were three individual errors for the Tottenham goals and we should've done much better with them.

"Overall, I don't think the lads could've gave us any more. I thought that with five scholars in there, it was a very young team at the end. That was much more like it, in the second half."

Among the team were 'keeper and captain on the night Brad Young, and striker Chris Popov, who recently returned from injury. Petty was delighted to see the players return and commended the second half performance from the Foxes.

"Brad [Young] has been fantastic for us," the coach continued. "He's taken full responsibility for the first goal. It's a blow, especially with the position that we're in, in the league, and everyone is feeling the pain. We were desperate to come here and get three points tonight, and it now gives us a mountain to climb.

"Chris [Popov] was always planning to play 45 minutes. He's been out for a long time. We pushed it really, to get him half a game tonight. It was great to have him back.

"Henry Cartwright came back in for 30 minutes and hopefully one or two injuries will be coming back now, but it was a plan change. We went to a 3-5-2 to try and put more pressure on Tottenham and I thought, you saw it in the second half that we pressed really well."

One positive from the night, asides from Joe Wormleighton's second half consolation goal, was the inclusion of more youngsters and Under-18s in the matchday squad, and Petty hopes these individuals can make a difference in the final games of the season.

He added: "The players here are working really hard. We've got a lot of players missing, but that presents opportunities for the younger ones now to come up in the last six games, and we saw tonight Bobby Amartey was terrific.

"I thought Harvey Godsmark-Ford played really well - Jahmari Lindsay as well. So, the lads that haven't got loads of PL2 experience are getting that now, so the opportunity knocks for them."