Russell calls for a clinical edge

• U23s manager reflects on 1-1 draw with Reading
• Potters took an early lead before being pegged back
• City squandered chances during PL2 clash in Berkshire

U23s manager Kevin Russell felt his team deserved more than a point following their 1-1 draw with Reading in Premier League 2 Division Two on Monday night.

Tashan Oakley-Boothe’s opener was cancelled out by a goal from Jeremiah Okine-Peters to share the spoils and keep City sixth in the table.

Despite the result, it was a good performance from Russell’s side, but the 55-year-old believes the lack of killer touch in the final third was to blame for the two dropped points.

He told stokecityfc.com: “I thought we played really well; we dominated the game from start to finish. I thought some of our play was excellent.

“But we’ve got to be clinical at the top end of the pitch and today we weren’t clinical enough. It was a sloppy goal to give away, under no pressure. It was their only real chance of the game.”

Whilst the result was not what the U23s wanted from their trip to Berkshire, Russell believes there are plenty of positives to take away from the game.

“I thought between the two 18 yard boxes we were very good,” the former attacked proclaimed. “We passed the ball really well and moved at a good pace. There was some really clever play.

“I thought we just lacked that cutting edge in and around the box whether it was a cross or cutback or making the wrong decision. Box-to-box I thought we were excellent.”

The games are coming thick and fast for the U23s with two Premier League Cup ties to be played in the next week and Russell believes there are plenty of lessons from this performance to take into those games.

He said: “There’s a lot of games coming up and we’re light on players at the moment but the main thing to take is be more clinical. Be more clinical and concentration at the back needs to be better.

“We’ve given away a poor goal tonight when they shouldn’t have scored. They’re the lessons you’ve got to learn.”

Russell also offered his congratulations to Acorn Motor Group Player of the Month D’Margio Wright-Phillips who only broke into the first team from the U23s a few weeks ago.

He finished: “It’s fantastic for the kid. He’s done brilliant. He’s spent a year and a half with the 23s and done really well and I’m glad his performances have carried into the first team.”

Attention for the U23s now turns to the Premier League Cup as they prepare to welcome Fulham on Thursday before making the journey down to Southend United on Monday.