Owls Under-18s manager Andy Sharp reflected on Tuesday night’s FA Youth Cup exit and said visitors Reading displayed the key components required to seal victory.
The Royals emerged 4-0 winners, mainly thanks to a hat-trick from Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith, who stole the show in sub-zero temperatures at Hillsborough.
Wednesday were limited to few chances and the closest they came to a goal was Jarvis Thornton’s piledriver that thundered against the crossbar.
Reading showed a clear cutting edge, with Taylan Harris also on target towards the end of the fourth round clash.
Sharp said: “We’re disappointed but ultimately Reading were very good and ruthless in both boxes. I’ve said to the players, it’s how success in football is decided, how you defend your box and how ruthless you are in the opposition box.
“It’s games like the FA Youth Cup that you can remember for a long time and that’s why this result is so disappointing because the journey this year has come to an end.
“We’ll let the dust settle on this one then focus on Barnsley in the league on Saturday. We’re well placed in the table, we have a lot of games to catch up on, so we need to use that to our advantage.”