Eckert pleased with "big step up" after half time
Tonda Eckert was pleased with Southampton’s winning start to the new season, citing “a big step up” in the second half as the key to a 2-0 victory at Colchester in the Carabao Cup first round.
Saints were held by the League Two side until the 72nd minute, but by this point the visitors were dominant, and ultimately goals from substitutes Cyle Larin and Romeo Akachukwu cracked the hosts’ stubborn resistance.
Daniel Peretz had been the busier goalkeeper in a tricky first half for Eckert’s side, but the head coach was satisfied with the way his team grew into their first competitive game of the new campaign.
“I think it was a very mature, solid performance,” he reflected. “These games are never as easy as they seem, and I think we needed some time to pick up the speed of the game in the first half.
“Structure-wise there was not too much we needed to change at half time, it was just to find a little bit more patience on the ball when we move up the pitch and then find the moments to accelerate.
“I think we didn’t really have that balance right in the first half, but then a big step up in the second half and that brought the game in our direction.
“I think we had more than enough moments in the final third when we could’ve even been more dangerous earlier, but with the first goal the game always changes and opens up.”
Larin had not played any minutes at all during pre-season, only returning to Staplewood this week after his World Cup exploits with Canada, but marked his first appearance as a permanent signing by converting Ryan Manning’s cross 10 minutes into his comeback.
“It was a great ball in,” Eckert said of the assist, before praising Larin’s impact. “It’s so good to have him (Larin) around. I said this to him this week – it’s just a different feeling having him in the group, and today he showed he can play a very good 30 minutes. Now it’s for us and for him to build that up.”
