Two strikes from Patrick Roberts and a goal from Adam Armstrong secured his side a 3-0 victory over host nation Malta at the National Stadium in Ta’Qali on Friday evening, and although he would have liked to have seen a higher winning margin, the Head Coach says he is happy to have the three points on the board.
“We wanted the three points at the start of the day and we have them – so I am delighted with that,” said Peacock.
“We would have liked to score more goals, but I'm pleased – we kept trying to do the right things and when you play against teams who defend deep, it's always difficult to break them down.”
"We've got a few weapons and it just happened to be Patrick Roberts' day."
John Peacock
When asked if his side need to be more lethal, he said: “Do we need to be more clinical further into the tournament? Yes, but it's a good start.
“We are in very good shape physically and we got off to a really fast start. There is pace in the team and they maintained the tempo throughout the game, which is what I was looking for."
It was Fulham winger Roberts who stole show for the Young Lions against the hosts, adding an assist for Armstrong to go with his brace, but Peacock says his side possesses numerous threats that can cause damage to opponents.
“We've got a few weapons and it just happened to be Patrick Roberts' day today. He scored two good goals – the last one reminded me of one he scored against Armenia back in October – and it was his day today.
“However, there are players who can score goals right through this team. We were good at the back, we kept the concentration levels high and a clean sheet is always nice in a tournament.
“It is a good start but we have a lot more to do going forward and we know a tough test awaits us when we face Turkey on Monday.”
