Hythe Town manager Ira Jackson tells the club’s youngsters they can achieve anything if they believe and work hard

Hythe Town boss Ira Jackson is determined to prove you can be successful with young players.

The Cannons picked up their first win of pre-season at the weekend with a 1-0 victory at Isthmian South East Ashford.

Eighteen-year-old forward Isaac Hadlow - on loan from Chatham - scored the only goal at Homelands.

He was among a host of youngsters in the visitors’ starting XI.

“Isaac came in to training with us on Thursday,” said Jackson.

“We looked to bring him in on loan to give him a platform and an opportunity to show what he can do.

“He’s not really a No.9 but in the way we want to play, we think his attributes suit that and he gives us different options.

“I said to my assistant about 10 minutes in, this game is the complete antithesis of normal football, which is that age and experience always wins.

“From minute one we just looked like we could compete and we’re not supposed to with the age of most of the players on the pitch.

“We had a 16-year-old centre-back, an 18-year-old and 19-year-old in central midfield, and an 18-year-old up front, two 20-year-old wing-backs and a 17-year-old goalkeeper.

“When you’re looking at those ages, we shouldn’t be competing, and football tells us you can’t do anything with young players apart from get smashed every week.

“And so I think it was a positive lesson for the boys to learn that what really matters is this changing room, this group and the belief we have as a management staff and a group in each other that we can deliver.

“Ashford have got a strong squad, so it was good to get a result.

“It’s still pre-season, so it’s not going to define our league finish for the year, but it was positive and good encouragement for the boys that they’re progressing and developing together.”

Jack