Kian Smart says there is a positive feeling within the youth team squad at present after they claimed a fifth consecutive win on Saturday, coming from one down to beat Walsall 2-1.
The midfielder completed 90 minutes in the contest as teammates Tom Stead and Oscar O’Neil scored second-half goals to cancel out Mitch Candlin’s 48th minute opener.
And although Smart admitted the youth team had to show grit to maintain their winning run, he said that there is great belief within the camp that they can succeed in these types of matches at present.
“It was important we dug in and we did well as a team to play the right way and play forwards,” he told PNE.com. “We stuck to what we’re good at, which is passing the ball.
“It was a pretty even first-half, both teams had a few chances but without having anything clear cut. But in the second-half, we definitely dominated, and it was important we were able to do that and dig in as a team and know how to win games like that.
“I think the boys could feel that goal coming, there was a few chances and we just kept saying, ‘Come on, it will come.’ We needed to keep going and playing forward and we did that.
“There’s definitely a winning mentality and positivity in the group at the moment. We never feel like we’re going to get beat, we always feel like that if we get a chance we will take it, and we always keep going until the end.”
Smart was disappointed to go behind in the match but said the team reacted well to that setback, and also spoke of his recent switch to playing on the right side of midfield, having played more regularly in the centre of midfield earlier in the campaign and last season.
“It was disappointing when their goal went in but we did well to come back from that. They had chances but it was important we were able to get back and fight but still be able to go forward.
“Even when we’re having to dig in, we were still able to create chances to try and go up and we benefitted from that in the end.
“There are plenty of similarities playing there [right midfield] and in central midfield in terms of getting up and down the pitch. It’s just important that you try to get crosses into the box and shots away when you can.
“You get more space and have the opportunity to get forwards more, and sometimes get more time on the ball as well which is good.”