U18 Lead Coach Scott Anderson spoke after Aberdeen’s UEFA Youth League game at Pittodrie. It was a very tough night for the young Dons against an older and more experienced Puskas Akademia side.

“Thoroughly difficult game. It was tough for us. We always knew we were going to be a young group, against a good team that has a few that are playing senior football. But we were probably masters of our own downfall a little bit. The goals we concede are poor. It was difficult to get a foothold in the game, off the back of losing some poor goals.

“We have been doing well at 18s, but that was probably a step too far tonight.

“We will dust ourselves down and try and learn from it. We will develop from it, we are a really young group, we finished the game with nine U17 players on the pitch.

“We are disappointed with the result, but the support was great, we can only thank them for that. Hopefully we can show more of what we are about over in Hungary.!

The squad were handicapped tonight with the regulations imposed in this country which prevented Aberdeen from fielding any of the development players who are on loan such as Alfie Bavidge, Findlay Marshall, Dylan Lobban, Adam Emslie and Blair McKenzie.

“The rules about on-loan players are frustrating, but it is more frustrating for the boys. These players put the team in this position with their hard work last season by winning the Club Academy Scotland U18 League. It is a silly rule, as it would be a game and a competition that would really help develop all our young players, so it is absolutely a frustration.

“We saw the difference in terms of the players they have at the senior level, the know how they had, and that little bit of sharpness. We could have had the same, so it was a massive learning curve for the young boys.

“This is the games we want; these are where we learn a massive amount from. We will learn from it; we will analyse it and hopefully be better for it. We know the next leg will be another challenge, but as long as the players are developing that is what we are looking for. All these challenges are good for their development, the learning will stand them in good stead.”

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