Following United’s win over Gateshead in the FA Youth Cup, which saw the young side progress into the First Round Proper, we spoke to Mark Birch.
Speaking to CUTV, he said: “We went about the game in the right way and got the positive result. They were a decent side and I’d say the lads put in a performance that did them justice. It was a good performance all round.”
Despite limited information about the opposition, United started fast and executed their plan effectively.
“We’ve been playing a little bit up against the unknown – we didn’t have too much footage or knowledge about them, but we went about the game in the right way and got the positive result.”
The breakthrough came early, with Lewis Lambert opening the scoring inside two minutes — a goal crafted on the training ground.
“Dev (Jamie Devitt) did set pieces yesterday. It’s one we thought would work to combat them, and it’s always pleasing when you’ve worked on things and they come off.”
“That initial corner routine to Simon Rigby is something we’ve worked on, and I’m sure Dev will take the credit for it – we picked an area we thought we could hurt them and it came off perfectly.”
Reuben Towers won a penalty soon after with a moment of clever footwork, which he confidently converted.
“That’s Reuben all over. He practises them every day in training – he won the penalty, picked up the ball, and showed great confidence to put it away. That’s what you want to see.”
United's ability to express themselves in attack was built on an increasingly solid defence, with another clean sheet making it three in a row.
“We’ve done a lot of work with the defenders since the start of the season and I think we’ve now got more clean sheets than we did all of last year. That gives our attacking players the platform to be more creative and commit bodies forward.”
“What you want to see from young defenders is pride in keeping clean sheets – and now when we mention them, they take real ownership of that.”
Amaru Smith added a third goal in the second-half, capping off an impressive performance.
“He’s always a threat one-on-one, but now his end product is improving too – that’s why he’s getting more goals and assists.”
Late on, United saw the game out with maturity and professionalism, showing control as the clock ticked down.
“That’s what we want – for the lads to understand the professional side of the game. We were also mindful of Saturday’s game, so we rotated and gave players minutes. We’ve got trust in every player in the squad.”
After full-time, there was a special moment as the players went over to thank their families in the stands.
“It’s not cheap to follow your kid all around the country playing football. Showing that bit of appreciation builds team spirit and sends the right message – it’s the right thing to do.”
Looking ahead to the next round, Birch was relaxed about the draw.
“If you ask the lads, they’d probably like a home tie after two away games – but who we play, we’re not really bothered. We want good games, tough games, and to test the lads against the best.”
He also reflected on the team’s wider ambitions for the season.
“We set targets at the start – the first one was to get through the two qualifying rounds. Now we’re in the First Round Proper, and we’ll see what comes next.”
