WATFORD'S youth side went down 3-1 to Leicester City on Saturday (14 February) at their Belvoir Drive training ground.

The Hornets fielded a somewhat depleted side due to their tiring Youth Cup performance and with Monday's reserve game in mind, some senior players were rested.

This handed an opportunity to the likes of schoolboy Adam Thompson, Oliver Archer and Gavin Massey, while Bo Antal, Theo Angus and Fabrice Otshudi all returned to the starting XI.

Watford took the lead early on and were rewarded for their promising play thanks to a goal from Massey.

However, that advantage only lasted nine minutes as captain Billy Kee finished past Bo Antal inside the penalty area.

That lead was doubled five minutes before half time when Robbie Burns finished after a corner kick.

Leicester's third was added after half time as Elliott Chamberlain put the final strike past Antal.

Sean Dyche, Assistant Academy Manager 16-18s, discussed the difficulties of playing schoolboys against strong opposition.

He said: "We believe in playing younger players from a development point of view, from a results point of view it is always going to be difficult.

"They will learn how to deal with that physicality - we weren't beaten with football on Saturday but we were beaten with the physical side of things.

Former Watford centre-half Sean Dyche

"After a bright start, Leicester found it difficult to get near us but they then started to apply the pressure - but we believe that they will grow and get bigger and stronger.

"If they can play under that pressure they will then develop further. We can't do it all the time because they're young and they want to win and learn, we can't take that away from them, but there are times when it's a good learning curve for them.

"From under 16s to under 18s is a big difference and there is a 'reality moment' when they realise it's a lot tougher and physically powerful - we believe that long-term it's a good way of getting people in the first team, which is always our aim.

"Look at Ross Jenkins for example, he came out of a team that was up and down last year, not great at getting points on the board but then in comes a lad to the first team who is a great player and that is our real goal."

LEICESTER CITY: Ambrusics, Cobb, Bolger, Parkes, O'Neill, Burns, Hicks, Milnes, C King, Chamberlain, Kee.

WATFORD: Antal; Thompson (Yiadom 65), Archer, Kiernan (c) (Hodson 46), Angus; Massey, Brooks, Penny (Isaac 80), Mingoia; Whichelow; Otshudi. Subs not used: North (gk), Warburton.

GOALS: LEICESTER CITY; Kee, Burns, Chamberlain. WATFORD; Massey.

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