It took a half-time pep talk for North End's young reserve side to show their full potency at Morecambe on Monday night, but after the game first team coach David Unsworth was delighted with the reaction he got as the Lilywhites crushed their Lancashire opponents 5-1, with Neil Dougan scoring a hat-trick in the last 17 minutes!
The team had an average age of little more than 16 and Unsworth felt the youngsters were the stars of the show: "It was an incredibly young squad, with a lot of first years, a couple of second years, but mainly made up to U16s and in the first half it was a little bit disappointing. Jamie, Dean and I were a little bit disappointed that we didn't get the ball down and pass it around like we normally do, but we shook them up and changed it a little bit at half-time and we went to 4-3-3 and they then showed us what good footballers they area, creating chances and scoring four more goals, which is fantastic.
"We are delighted, because when you come with such a young team in a reserve league, no matter who you play, you are always a little bit sceptical, but the U16s were magnificent. Young Will Hayhurst, Doyle and Naz were arguably our best players on the night and that is great credit to everyone who has worked with them and if they keep progressing them at that rate it will be fantastic."
In the second period it was two of the now contracted players who took the game by the scruff of the neck: "Jamie [Proctor] and Dougs were magnificent in the second half and showed their qualities. We all know what Jamie Proctor is about and when he runs in behind and knocks it past people, like he did in the second half, he is a force to be reckoned with at this level.
"All the coaches at the Club keep going on about Dougs getting in at the back post and getting in the box to get tap ins and he did that. His hat-trick goal was the best goal of the night; a great move with Will Hayhurst doing well and then it was a great finish, so we were delighted with that as well. Overall it was a great night's work and great to see the U16s in the side and not looking out of the place.
"They are good footballers. When we pass it around there is a lot of work done on the training ground to get them to do it right; to pass it round, but with an end product. When they pass it like they did in the second half and work their socks off, showing a real determination they show they are good footballers and we are very pleased tonight."
With Adam Barton and Danny Mayor getting their first starts at Deepdale last Saturday, Unsworth admitted that the route to first team football is open for these players: "The lads can see a route into the first team. There is a real buzz around the place at the minute after Saturday's game and it just shows what happens if young lads come through the Club and the gaffer has said to the lads who have signed pro already and anyone else, that if you are good enough, he will pick you and he's a man of his word. He's not afraid to stick them in, like he showed on Saturday and full credit to him, it was a fantastically brave decision to do that on Saturday and it paid off and the gaffer will, I am sure, be looking to blood another couple before the end of the season, which is a fantastic incentive for these young players now at the Club.
"It is great to see that they didn't look out of place and to have such a positive outcome on the result was great. I thought Danny got better as the game went on and he goes past players and I though Spid [Adam] was absolutely magnificent in the first half and it just showed what at an impact he had on the game, because we couldn't really get on the ball in the second half until we'd changed it round a couple of times and get the right people in the right places. His first pass in first team football was exquisite and they both have bright futures and we're delighted for them."
