Eight players from our thrilling FA Youth Cup run were included in the first-team squad for our Surrey Senior Cup second-round tie against Carshalton Athletic and six of them made their debuts: Cameron Beckles, Victor Koah, Rory Edwards, Josh Green, Jaevon Dyer and Ado Amankwah - writes Dominic Bliss.
For Beckles it was a night to remember as he marked his first-team bow with a goal in the 2-2 draw and then stepped up to convert one of our penalties in a 4-2 shootout victory as Danny Bracken performed heroics between the sticks in his 500th game.
Unsurprisingly, Beckles wore a broad grin when we spoke to him afterwards. Here’s what the teenage centre-back had to say about it all…
EMOTIONS
I’m feeling pretty excited to be honest. On the outside I wasn’t showing my emotion too much but inside I was buzzing. I didn’t want to get too excited when I scored because there were still a good 75 minutes to go, so we still had a job to do.
YOUNGSTERS GETTING A CHANCE
We all felt like we played really well in the Youth Cup so it’s always good to do something for the first team and progress in men’s football. Compared to 18s football, it’s a lot different, the tempo is a lot quicker but I think all the boys did well. Everyone managed it, no one put a foot wrong and we got the win, which is the most important thing.
SENIOR PLAYERS AMONG THEM
It’s good to learn from them and their experience because eventually we’re gonna be the senior players, so obviously we need to learn from them and build from here. For Danny Bracken to make 500 appearances at 31 is crazy, and he pulled off two brilliant saves in the shootout.
SHOOTOUT
We had a penalty shootout in the Youth Cup and I took the first one, so it wasn’t really something to overthink, I just thought straight away I wanted a pen. There weren’t really too many nerves when I stepped up because they’d missed so it would’ve been equal if I’d have missed, but I knew I wasn’t missing. So far, I’m 100 per cent from the spot in competitive games.
FANS
It was pretty sick to play in front of what was a decent crowd and they really got behind us. It was brilliant. It was pretty good fun to play and know the crowd were there as well, especially when I scored.
JAMES BRACKEN’S INSTRUCTIONS
He told us to relax, to play our game, not to get nervous and just enjoy it, because it was all our first games. I know it was a first-team game, but we shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves. At half-time, we were 2-1 up and that’s when I learned. We came in, and James wasn’t over the top, but he calmed us down. Even when we were winning, he told us what we needed to do better and it really shows that he’s all about winning, to be honest. It’s a good mentality.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME?
I hope so because it’s a brilliant club to play at.
For Beckles it was a night to remember as he marked his first-team bow with a goal in the 2-2 draw and then stepped up to convert one of our penalties in a 4-2 shootout victory as Danny Bracken performed heroics between the sticks in his 500th game.
Unsurprisingly, Beckles wore a broad grin when we spoke to him afterwards. Here’s what the teenage centre-back had to say about it all…
EMOTIONS
I’m feeling pretty excited to be honest. On the outside I wasn’t showing my emotion too much but inside I was buzzing. I didn’t want to get too excited when I scored because there were still a good 75 minutes to go, so we still had a job to do.
YOUNGSTERS GETTING A CHANCE
We all felt like we played really well in the Youth Cup so it’s always good to do something for the first team and progress in men’s football. Compared to 18s football, it’s a lot different, the tempo is a lot quicker but I think all the boys did well. Everyone managed it, no one put a foot wrong and we got the win, which is the most important thing.
SENIOR PLAYERS AMONG THEM
It’s good to learn from them and their experience because eventually we’re gonna be the senior players, so obviously we need to learn from them and build from here. For Danny Bracken to make 500 appearances at 31 is crazy, and he pulled off two brilliant saves in the shootout.
SHOOTOUT
We had a penalty shootout in the Youth Cup and I took the first one, so it wasn’t really something to overthink, I just thought straight away I wanted a pen. There weren’t really too many nerves when I stepped up because they’d missed so it would’ve been equal if I’d have missed, but I knew I wasn’t missing. So far, I’m 100 per cent from the spot in competitive games.
FANS
It was pretty sick to play in front of what was a decent crowd and they really got behind us. It was brilliant. It was pretty good fun to play and know the crowd were there as well, especially when I scored.
JAMES BRACKEN’S INSTRUCTIONS
He told us to relax, to play our game, not to get nervous and just enjoy it, because it was all our first games. I know it was a first-team game, but we shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves. At half-time, we were 2-1 up and that’s when I learned. We came in, and James wasn’t over the top, but he calmed us down. Even when we were winning, he told us what we needed to do better and it really shows that he’s all about winning, to be honest. It’s a good mentality.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME?
I hope so because it’s a brilliant club to play at.
Eight players from the Kinetic Academy who represented us in the FA Youth Cup were in the squad against Carshalton.