Robinson’s Blues lost to the Whites of Carlos Corberan in their Professional Development League final penalty shootout at Elland Road.
Birmingham City Under-23s boss Paul Robinson bemoaned his side’s penalty shootout defeat in the Professional Development League final against their Leeds United counterparts at Elland Road on Monday afternoon.
A tight match ended goalless after extra time and, after two Blues players missed their spot kicks, Jack Clarke stepped up to give Carlos Corberan’s experienced side a 4-2 win in the shootout.
The first half was a cagey affair with the hosts dominating possession but the visitors producing the best openings as Adan George, Odin Bailey and Joe Redmond all weighed in with good efforts.
Leeds’ first chance of the game came in the 53rd minute when Mateusz Bogusz swung a free kick to the back post where Pascal Struijk forced a save from Zack Jeacock while 20 minutes later Corey O’Keeffe’s header from a deep Bailey corner was hooked off the line.
Nonetheless, neither side could be separated come full time and extra time, so penalties it was, where even though Bogusz missed, so did Joe Redmond and Caolan Boyd-Munce, before Clarke did the honours to make his side champions and break Blues hearts.
Robinson was not overly impressed with the Whites’ performance, telling the official Birmingham website: “We looked the stronger team. I don’t think they hurt us at all, even with all the possession they had and the way that they were moving the ball, they never really opened us up or caused us a lot of problems.”
When it came to penalties, he said his side had practised, adding: “We knew if it came to that then we’d be ready, but it’s just one of those things. It’s pressure, but I can’t fault any of them. Their keeper made two good saves and that was it.”
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