Ruth: We weren't at our best against Boro, but we've had an excellent start

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Head coach reflects on point against Boro before Tuesday's trip to Hassocks.

Nick Szczepanik

2025-10-06T06:00+01:00

Shannon Ruth's team have only lost one game so far this campaign. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Men's under-21 head coach Shannon Ruth believes that his players are feeling the effects of a busy programme of fixtures.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at the American Express Stadium followed hard on the heels of a 3-3 draw away to West Ham United in PL2 and a 1-1 draw at Barnet in the EFL Vertu Trophy.

And the fixture list does not get any easier, with a trip to Hassocks in the Sussex Senior Cup looming on Tuesday.

“I felt it was a bit of a tired performance,” he said. “It was our third game in eight days and West Ham [and Barnet] being away from home, we looked a yard or so later in each duel and for each second ball and we were probably reactive rather than proactive.

“We still looked like ourselves, but we were just a little bit disconnected, with a lot of loose passes or we didn't quite get in when we should have got in.”

Albion’s best period came after Ruth’s half-time team talk, when they made some good chances and forced an equaliser, Boro’s Alex Gilbert deflecting Josh Robertson’s perfectly-flighted free kick into his own net under pressure from Joe Knight.

“This group is valuing every area of the game, and whether it's throw-ins, set-pieces, open play, they're trying to be as all-round as they possibly can be. Looking at the nature of all our goals and how we've played in the last nine games, and we’ve only lost one, that's certainly not a bad start to the season.”

Albion played the final half-hour or so against ten men after Boro defender Rio Patterson-Powell was shown a red card, but could not take advantage. “We all know it's not that straightforward against ten men, but I think we then got in a bit of a hurry and started to force things. We didn't prepare our attacks as well because I think we got a bit desperate. So it was another learning experience for us, for sure.”

Joe Knight battles to keep hold of the ball against Boro. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Tuesday’s game, at Hassocks FC’s Hotel Beacon Ground, will be another learning experience, and a very different one from playing at the Amex. “And I think that's the beauty of under-21s football,” he said. “I said to the players before the game, ‘It's just a pitch,’ and if as a young professional you can get to a place where, regardless of the venue, the competition, the opponent, that you can just perform as the best version of you, you'll have a really good career.

“Don't get me wrong, I do feel that playing here [at the Amex] added a lot to the game and a lot of emotion to the game. Because I think we looked really disappointed coming in at half-time. It probably wasn’t going how they envisaged a game at the Amex and what they were going to do and how it was going to go.

“But what this group does when things don't go to plan is that they try and find a way to react.”