Juniors’ elevation thrill for coach Boylan

IT will be a good Christmas for nine young footballers in the South, although they may have to watch what they eat now.

They make up the group of Southern United’s national youth league players to be elevated to the men’s first squad for the second half of the season.

Rory Findlay, Adam Hewson and Stewart Catto had all seen preChristmas action in the national premiership and will make the permanent jump.

They will be joined by Thomas Poole, Jed Collings, Joe Carvell, Tim O’Farrell, Cam Anderson and Alex Cox.

It comes after a season in which the Southern youth side finished an impressive fourth, just three points behind winner Auckland City.

That result had left coach Terry Boylan thrilled.

He said the players had worked hard and committed to doing what needed to be done to earn the success.

To finish so close to Auckland City, Waitakere United and Eastern Suburbs had been a huge achievement.

However, his primary goal had been to develop players for the first team and having nine make the jump was a big success.

Alongside that, there were others who had impressed and could be knocking on the door in the future.

It was Boylan’s first year with the youth team and it was also the first year of the club’s ‘‘one environment’’ approach.

The youth side had a closer connection to the men’s squad than in previous seasons.

That gave its top performers the chance to earn training opportunities with the men and created a clearer and smoother pathway.

Boylan said it would still be a big step up for the youngsters as the intensity rose at the next level.

However, it was a case of coming into the top squad and continuing to work hard, as they had been doing.

Findlay has been the biggest success story of the team so far.

The 18yearold defender has started the last five games for Southern’s men’s team.

Goalkeeper Catto made his debut last weekend when Liam Little was red carded midway through the first half.

He put on a solid performance and Boylan said it was a debut he could be proud of.

The rest will get their first chance to push for a spot in the lineup after Christmas.

Eastern Suburbs awaits the Southern United men on January 6, at Sunnyvale Park.