The U23’s went down to a first league defeat of the season when losing 1-0 away at bottom placed Redhill, in a game that saw the lads reduced to 10 men after only eight minutes.
We spoke to manager Michael Talabi to get his thoughts on the match.
“You normally won’t hear that the team with 10 men after 8 minutes deserved to win, played well, and dominated. But that was the case today. A goal we scored clearly crossed the line but wasn’t given. On the other hand, a possibly offside goal was awarded against us. Yet, even with a man down, it was obvious who the better team was, and we still should have come away with a win.
Normally, I would say I’m extremely disappointed, especially with a defeat at this level. But there were many positives to take away. Our defending was exceptional for long periods of the game, keeping their attacks at bay with discipline and composure. The team held their shape brilliantly, shutting down their forwards and breaking up play when needed. What impressed me most was how well we transitioned from defense to attack, creating several dangerous counter-attacks. We looked threatening every time we went forward, exploiting spaces behind their backline and pushing their defense to its limits.
Credit to Redhill for the result, though I still believe it wasn’t deserved. We were organized, resilient, and showed great heart in a tough situation. Even with the setback, we displayed the quality and fight that makes this team special. We look forward to the home game to make amends.”
The lads have a quick chance to bounce back when they host Chessington & Hook Utd on Monday night at the David Weir Leisure Centre.