Post by leicesterlass on Oct 25, 2006 8:16:08 GMT -1
Leicester City boss Rob Kelly said he was left feeling 'immensely proud' following his side's 3-2 extra-time defeat to Premiership highfliers Aston Villa at the Walkers Stadium on Tuesday night.
The injury ravaged Foxes showed enormous grit and determination to twice come back from a goal down to make it 2-2 at full time.
But despite their efforts City would go out of the competition on the night following a late extra-time strike from young Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Kelly said: "You can only ask people to give everything they have got and I thought that our players did that for our football club tonight.
"Sometimes in life, on the odd occasions, you don't get what you deserve out of life. But if we keep working like that we will be fine.
"We fought until the end. That is the type of player that we have got. I never thought their heads would drop. I knew that whatever team we put out would want to do well for this football club and the supporters.
"I was proud to be part of that group of players because I thought they gave everything. You can't ask for anymore than that.
"I thought our players conducted themselves absolutely magnificently tonight.
"It is taking time, but we are moving in the right direction.
But despite his side's courageous performance, Kelly admitted that not everything he had seen on the pitch had been to his liking.
He added: "We had an excellent referee tonight who had a bad night. That's the bottom line.
"But I think it is wrong to be talking about referees because I think we should be talking about our players."
And one player that will remember the match for some time to come was young debutant Eric Odhiambo, who made the leap from the under 18s to the first team when he entered the game as a second half substitute.
"To be perfectly frank we literally didn't have anyone else. That's not demeaning the fact that he has come on and made his debut, but we had no other senior players available.
"Eric is still a young scholar making his way in the game. I work very closely with Jon Rudkin and Steve Beaglehole and he was the player out of that group who is doing well at the moment. It was therefore right that he stepped up.
"We are a young team anyway - our two central midfield players on the night were both teenagers - so we are into the next group down.
"But that's fine. That's where we are and we will get on with it."
The injury ravaged Foxes showed enormous grit and determination to twice come back from a goal down to make it 2-2 at full time.
But despite their efforts City would go out of the competition on the night following a late extra-time strike from young Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Kelly said: "You can only ask people to give everything they have got and I thought that our players did that for our football club tonight.
"Sometimes in life, on the odd occasions, you don't get what you deserve out of life. But if we keep working like that we will be fine.
"We fought until the end. That is the type of player that we have got. I never thought their heads would drop. I knew that whatever team we put out would want to do well for this football club and the supporters.
"I was proud to be part of that group of players because I thought they gave everything. You can't ask for anymore than that.
"I thought our players conducted themselves absolutely magnificently tonight.
"It is taking time, but we are moving in the right direction.
But despite his side's courageous performance, Kelly admitted that not everything he had seen on the pitch had been to his liking.
He added: "We had an excellent referee tonight who had a bad night. That's the bottom line.
"But I think it is wrong to be talking about referees because I think we should be talking about our players."
And one player that will remember the match for some time to come was young debutant Eric Odhiambo, who made the leap from the under 18s to the first team when he entered the game as a second half substitute.
"To be perfectly frank we literally didn't have anyone else. That's not demeaning the fact that he has come on and made his debut, but we had no other senior players available.
"Eric is still a young scholar making his way in the game. I work very closely with Jon Rudkin and Steve Beaglehole and he was the player out of that group who is doing well at the moment. It was therefore right that he stepped up.
"We are a young team anyway - our two central midfield players on the night were both teenagers - so we are into the next group down.
"But that's fine. That's where we are and we will get on with it."
