U23 REACTION: Stone On Fulham Success

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Under-23s' boss challenges players to stay the course in play-off race

2021-03-19T17:46:21.674Z

U23 REACTION: Stone On Fulham Success

Under-23s' boss challenges players to stay the course in play-off race

2021-03-19T17:46:21.674Z

Under-23s' boss challenges players to stay the course in play-off race

Steve Stone wants the Under-23s to finish what they’ve started after putting themselves into promotion contention.

Friday’s emphatic 4-1 victory at Fulham made it four wins out of five for the Clarets.

Stone’s side moved up to third place in the Second Division of Premier League 2 – having played more games than the sides just below them – with a top-five finish enough to secure a play-off spot.

And Stone is looking to keep the improvement going to reward an impressive reversal of fortunes after just one win in their first six games had made it a tough start to life in the league.

“We’ve set the boys a challenge,” said the Under-23s’ boss.

“For me, the table’s not that important but for them it has to be important in terms of wanting to win games and look at league tables and wanting to win the league.

U23 REACTION: Stone On Fulham Success - Image 1

“That’s what their mentality should be. Whatever they’re doing in life, they should want to be top of everything.

“I’ve set that challenge of trying to get into the play-offs after being right at the bottom for the first four or five games.

“They have turned the season around and I’ve set them the next challenge of finishing the season off.

“There are four games left and they’ve got themselves in the mix and all credit to them.”

Four second-half goals earned the Clarets – inspired by skipper Lewis Richardson – their biggest win of the season as they rose superbly to the challenge on a poor playing surface at Fulham’s London School of Economics home.

Max Thompson and Joel Mumbongo both scored their eighth goals of the season to wrap up a fourth away success after defender Richard Nartey had scored his first for the club and striker Rob Harker netted for the second game running following a lengthy spell out with a knee injury.

“The spread was really good,” added Stone, whose side next plays at Sunderland on 29 March.

U23 REACTION: Stone On Fulham Success - Image 2

“You’ve got Rob who’s coming back from injury, Richard Nartey who was terrific again, Max from the penalty spot and Joel coming off the bench.

“And that was probably Lewis’ best performance of the season without getting a goal. He set up two and was a constant menace and the rest of the team backed him up with that as well.

“It was a really, really good team performance and the little bits of quality you’re looking for at the top end of the pitch came out.

“We had to fight and scrap on what was probably the worst pitch we’ve played on this season.

“The boys adjusted to it and that was the pleasing thing. We spoke about having to win in different ways and we’ve won differently again.

“We put them under pressure, pressed really well and the intensity was really high at the top end of the pitch, starting from Rob and Lewis and the rest of the team followed them with that.

“That was probably the most pleasing thing about it. We got our success from pressing at the top end of the pitch and making them make mistakes and capitalising on them.

“You are looking for your team and boys who are developing to learn every side of the game and that’s what I'm teaching them.”