Ruth: Senior players were pivotal in win over Whitehawk

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Charlie Hanson

2025-02-19T16:30+00:00

Shannon Ruth. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Men's under-21 head coach Shannon Ruth praised the senior players in his team after they reached the semi-finals of the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday thanks to a 7-0 victory over Whitehawk.

Shannon, a fantastic win for your team…

“I am pleased for the group. We spoke a lot around it being a new group, but Tuesday really felt like a step forward. They looked really clear in their understanding of what we're asking and they got their rewards for a lot of their hard work.”

What was the biggest factor in helping you win so comfortably?

“I've been involved in this competition for a number of years now and it's never straightforward. The way the lads approached it and their choices and decisions within the game were the key for us.

“The game looked more like how we wanted it to look and not how they would have wanted it to look, and that enabled us to win.”

Charlie Penman spoke before the game about players stepping up into leadership roles after a few players left last month. How impressed were you with their performances?

“We always had control in the game and I'm really proud of the players for that. Charlie Penman, Jacob Slater, Sahil Bashir and Hugo Fisher – the senior players in the group – stepped up and certainly helped the younger players. That's a good step forward.”

Would you say performances have been improving since the transfer window closed?

“It's pleasing the team got that after a tough night away at Luton a couple of weeks ago when we had just had deadline day and then we went to Everton and didn't get quite what we deserve. The last two games have been something pleasing to build upon.

This result is nearly as good as the 10-0 win over Crystal Palace earlier this season. Have you learnt from that game how to keep the players’ feet on the floor after a big win?

“I will call upon games like Luton that, regardless of the opponent, you have to show respect because anyone can beat anyone.”