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. ”