Striker Tamás Priskin received his manager’s backing after netting the second goal in the Blues’ 3-1 win at Middlesbrough on Saturday. Boss Roy Keane says the Hungarian is likely to be given a run in the side with so many other players currently out injured.

Keane said: “We know he’s a talented boy but strikers will always be judged on putting the ball in the back of the net. It was a bit hit and miss for Tamás last year and he went out on loan, but he’s had a good pre-season and the fact that we’re down to the bare bones means he’s going to get a run in the team and please God he’ll come back from the international week OK.

“It was a good finish and he was in the right spot like all decent strikers, like the boy for the first goal from Middlesbrough.”

The Irishman was also happy with debutant Luke Hyam’s display at the Riverside: “He’s a good player. I’ve been speaking for the last few weeks about him and I said that if Luke had to play against Middlesbrough I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep, and I didn’t. I knew he wouldn’t let us down and I knew Reggie wouldn’t and I knew Jack Ainsley wouldn’t.

“Using all these young boys has been a little bit forced on me with the players we’ve lost over the last few weeks, but the boys are doing well. Young players provide an energy that you can’t buy.

“They’ve not been brainwashed yet, they seem to enjoy the game. Saturday was good for the young players.”

Keane was similarly pleased with Tommy Smith, whose deflected second half strike was his first career goal: “I think we deserved that little bit of luck, but I had a feeling Tommy might score today, not from a shot, from a header from a set piece as he’s very aggressive in terms of attacking set pieces.

“Tommy’s done well, he’s come back for pre-season and we’ve lost Damien for two or three months. In an ideal world we wouldn’t have Tommy playing yet because he’s probably a few weeks behind the other lads in terms of fitness because we gave him an extended break after the World Cup.

“Tommy’s a good player, a good lad to have in your dressing room. I like Tommy a lot, he’s a good kid. He’s the type you’d want in the trenches with you.”

Despite the comfortable nature of Town’s victory on Saturday, Keane says Boro will still be amongst the main contenders this season: “If you can finish above Middlesbrough, you have a good chance of being in the top five or six. They’ll only get stronger, quality will come through in the end. ”

Photo: Action Images

BLUEBEAT added 09:01 - Aug 9 Roy and Tommy sitting in a tree....
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wcoote added 09:14 - Aug 9 K I S S I N G.
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robdaful added 09:14 - Aug 9 How will Priskin feel being on the bench when we bring in some new strikers? And I'm very happy with the result. But I have watched the Priskin goal a few times and he looks like he falls over and as he does then headers the ball.
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gmanrom added 09:26 - Aug 9 stop being so bloody negative! on every thread i read negative comments, we have just had a great win at weekend but no we still look for the negatives and not the positives, everyone says the fans deserve some success but imo we dont!
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bluelady added 09:27 - Aug 9 Robdaful that really is very unfair. it is a great header and a committed dive to get it not a fall. I am by no means a Prisken fan but if he is starting to show passion and commitment i for one will be fully behind him as were our travelling fans saturday. Who said he will be on the bench anyways? With Walters going he is going to need to have an attacking type winger and one other player - he cant player connor week in week out even when he is fit he is not ready for that yet - so Prisken if he starts scoring more will get his chance.....

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trueblue added 09:42 - Aug 9 lets hope its the start of something good for priskin. we need it, maybe he has now found his feet and as long as the home fans keep off his back and get behind him maybe just maybe...
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bluelady added 09:51 - Aug 9 true blue couldnt agree more. it wasnt just the goal he showed some really good touches and some intellegent play at times saturday and in some nationals was mom - he does have the potential but its wether or not he is able to release it week in week out, if he does then his 1.7 million or however much it was price tag will seem a bargain!!!! oh the differance a game makes! I am not a massive keane fan but think that he has been instrumental in the change - not putting a very underperforming player on the transfer list but backing him and showing belief can only help a lack in confidence. my only issue is what caused the confidence lack initially!

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ITFC1985 added 09:55 - Aug 9 Robdaful - when you score a diving header you do tend to fall to the ground, he took the goal very well and was unlucky with the header that hit the bar.
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CGH added 09:56 - Aug 9 The World Cup has brought Smith on hugely and hopefully the loan spell kicked Priskin into action.
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ITFC_Budapest added 10:12 - Aug 9 What is it with some people on here? It seems they won't be happy until priskin scores from the half way line and has the club badge tattoed on his face!
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1RWR added 10:26 - Aug 9 Come on dear people, look, Norwich deservedly lost on Friday in front of Sky, Town deservedly won away at 'Boro...............it can't get better than that can it? So why the negatives.............positives dears.............positives!
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FenboyBlue added 10:58 - Aug 9 Tommy in the trenches ? LOL. Has Roy still got those army uniforms from last year's pre-season ?
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corshamblue added 10:59 - Aug 9 Priskin will be exposed in the International. If he can have a good game he'll have a bucket full of confidence to go on and prove he's a decent players - which he can be - just needs managing correctly. Watford are still laughing at the transfer fee! but it only part covered the cost of the rockets they had to put up his ars* . . . . ask any Watford fan and they'll tell you the same. Luke seems to be set for a spell of first team football and I'm glad to see so many young guns coming through again.

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under_the_sun666 added 11:02 - Aug 9 I also back priskin... to f*ck off and be sh*t somewhere else
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BerlinBlue added 11:37 - Aug 9 under_the_sun666: are you serious? the guy scored on saturday and you still come out with that? why can't you and the others who constantly slate him just support him for once? he's not sh*t which he's going to prove this season. just show you're a real fan and if you can't do that go away and save us your negativity. there are too many like you here.
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sonian_blue added 11:44 - Aug 9 Why not go with him sun666
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PortmanOz added 12:08 - Aug 9 Blimey Boys! We just beat the league Favs 3-1, He scored! No wonder he cant perform with crowd support like that last season
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comeonthegoodtimes added 12:38 - Aug 9 Am i missing something here? Did anyone actually go and watch the game on saturday, i did and quite frankly id take 3-1 away against Scunthorpe let alone Boro, If Priskin plays like he did on saturday for the remaining games in the season and scores in half of them i for one would like to say 'Moan all you like Priskin' Be lazy. after all he's there to put the ball in the back of the net and no one can argue that he didn't do his job on Saturday can they? I admitt i was one of the 'Priskin out' supporters but hey, one game one goal. Lets all get behind him and show what a true supporting club we really are.... Also all those who say Boro were very poor, well ladies and gents. You can only beat whats in front of you and we did that in a certain style i think. It will defo make teams sit up and take note of us rather than thinking we are a soft touch like previous years. COYB.

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MAVERICK added 12:41 - Aug 9 I for one are very pleased we won 3-1 at boro, and Priskin,Smith and Stead scored. This was a great day for me, so there !
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Martus added 12:43 - Aug 9 Good work Keane, give him a confidence boost and let him know he has your backing and support. Im not sure if we really need strikers now, id like to see the guys we have now a few games to see how they are, Stead was good before his suspension and given a run of games he will score. Priskin showed his worth for Watford, and given a run of games will boost his confidence. Finally Wickham needs games and has shown his worth. I think we need a striker, but as back up or a young striker. What we need is full backs and wingers as i think the young uns are maybe not up to standard yet but can be used for a handful of games.

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PortmanOz added 12:45 - Aug 9 well said - comeonthegoodtimes COME ON YOU BLUES, NEW SEASON, FRESH SLATE. FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON- 3 GOALS - 3PTS, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!
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GeorgiDoundarov added 13:14 - Aug 9 Why does Keane say nothing good about Stead? He also scored and he did it after 2 min of play?!
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under_the_sun666 added 13:56 - Aug 9 ur judging him on 1 match... i'm judging him on the other 20/30 hes done f*ck all for us
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gav_g added 14:01 - Aug 9 Why do some people still slate priskin when he scored on sat and seemed to give a good performance and work ethic. I personally would be happy to see priskin keeping wickham, stead (and hopefully another striker) on the bench if hes whacking them in, since the competition may benefit them, and strikers depend on form.
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comeonthegoodtimes added 15:13 - Aug 9 under_the_sun666 - Quote 'i'm judging him on the 20/30 he's done f*ck all for us' No one has said he was amazing last season, but that was last year. Let's get behind him this year 1 in 1 game ain't bad at any level.... Plus, i don't actually think he played 20/30 games for us last season, i think you'll find he only played about 15 or 16 as he was on loan for most of it, most of those were from the bench as well, Your free to have your opinion though so fill ya boots but try and say something nice once and a while.....and something nice means a positve about the club you support.....

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