Carlisle United’s Youth team rounded off their pre-season training camp at Stirling University with a friendly against St Mirren’s U19 squad last week.
United took the lead with a fourth minute goal from 17 year old Ryan Bowman, but the Blues young side faced tough opposition and the game ended 3-2 to St Mirren.
The Buddies players, who have been in and around the first team, showed United’s youngsters the difference between playing schoolboy U16 football and football at this level.
Speaking to the Club’s official website, Youth Coach Eric Kinder said:
“It was a tough game for the lads, but that’s why I wanted to come to Scotland. We went into the game without Davison and Cleary, through injury, so it was a really young side. It was the first game for the ten 1st years so they will have learned a lot.”
“The scoreline flatters us a little bit because we couldn’t actually get the ball back off them for long periods. It’s a good learning tool though because the lads have seen first hand that if they give it away then they will get punished at this level.”
Some poor defending from set pieces cost the Blues three goals but their second came when Mark Sloan got on the outside of their left back and whipped the ball across for Matthew Osmond to head it in at the back post.
Kinder added,
“This is what pre-season is for. We need to look and see what needs to be done, particularly with a young group, and we can set about putting it right.”
“Having ten younger players is a problem, but it’s something that we can get over. They are all learning… and it’s a very steep learning curve for them.”
