PAUL Bodin described Swindon Town Under 18s’ 5-0 defeat to Liverpool as a “wonderful lesson”, despite seeing his side dumped out of the FA Youth Cup last night.

Two goals from Jack Dunn plus further strikes from Jordon Ibe and Jerome Sinclair and an unfortunate Jake Helm own goal handed the Reds victory at the County Ground, as they outclassed their hosts for much of the 90 minutes.

Bodin was pleased with his players’ application but was left to applaud Liverpool’s supreme quality after the Merseyside outfit gave Town a lesson in possession football and clinical finishing.

However, the youth team coach stressed the match would not prove to be a fruitless exercise if Swindon’s youngsters took a few valuable tips away from events at SN1.

“Liverpool are a quality team.

“If we were going to get anything out of the game, as I said before the game, we probably needed nine or 10 really good performances and they would have had to have been under-par,” he said.

“We actually keep the ball quite well in the league that we play in but to play against them today was like another level.

“They are category one, the top category, and we are category three. We are where we are.

“They spend millions of pounds on players in their youth team which is unbelievable. It showed at times.

“They were a quality outfit and you have to take your hat off to them.

“It’s a wonderful lesson for us and as long as our boys learn some harsh lessons out there today then we can move forward.”

Bodin felt his team was unlucky to find themselves 2-0 down to a ricocheted own goal and Ibe’s bullet-like strike, but he suggested that Town were still in the contest until Dunn’s second put Liverpool four up at the interval.

“We actually started reasonably brightly and then no luck came our way when the ball’s ricocheted off the post, off the back of our keeper and into the back of the net which gives them a huge lift,” he said.

“Their second goal was not too long after that.

“It’s a wonderful move down the left, the lad cuts inside and he’s just given the keeper absolutely no chance. So from nowhere you’re 2-0 down and thinking ‘what have we done to deserve this?’ “Full credit to the boys, they conceded another one but the one on half-time was a real killer blow for us. Two was not too bad, three and you think it’s starting to get away from you and then the fourth goal really killed the game off.”

  • In last night’s only local Hellenic League clash, Highworth lost 3-0 at home to Wokingham & Emmbrook in the Premier Division.