Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with debutant Adam McDonnell and fellow youngster Myles Kenlock during Saturday’s final day of the season 1-0 win at Derby. The duo are two of a number of young players who have made an impression during the last few games of the season.
"I thought he was really good,” McCarthy said regarding 18-year-old Dubliner McDonnell, who joined Town from his hometown club Shelbourne in the summer of 2014 following a trial.
"Even when he got booked I was delighted because that’s part of his game. He went to win the ball, he made a tackle and it stopped them attacking, but he competed really well.
"I thought he passed it well and he’s one that I’ve always liked, and, by the way, a big game for him to come in and play as well against that midfield, they’ve some good players there.
"He was knackered when he came off, he was getting cramp. I think the occasion, the pace of the game, he’s not played any at that level, so it was always going to tax him. But when he was on I thought he did well, but he was just shattered.”
On 19-year-old left-back Kenlock’s display, he added: "I thought he saw off both wingers, he’s seen off two really good wide players. Excellent. I’m really pleased, that’s given me real encouragement for next season.”
McCarthy says the impact made by youngsters such as McDonnell, Kenlock, Andre Dozzell, Paul Digby and Josh Emmanuel when given their chance in the senior side has been a big plus during the final weeks of the season.
"It’s great that,” he said. "The problem is that if we’re sat here in the top six and going into the play-offs everybody would be buzzing and that would just be a nice little aside.
"So I’m not trying to use that as some sort of fabulous end to the season, bury the bad news with some good news, that’s not the case. But it’s progress for the club.
"Every year since I’ve been here there’s been progress, 14th, ninth, sixth, OK we’re seventh this year, so it’s just taken a little dip.
"But in terms of getting players through, and we are a club where we’ve spent five hundred grand in terms of transfers, most have been frees and Bosmans, it is great that players are coming through the academy.
"We had Teddy Bishop who came through last year and really sadly he’s been injured for such a long time.
"If Doz comes through and does half as well as Teddy did in terms of playing and these other two then start threatening full-back positions on a regular basis, and we’ve got Clarkey [Matt Clarke] coming back [having been on loan at Portsmouth], which is another plus, that would be great.”
He says Emmanuel and Kenlock haven’t been too far away, having made their senior debuts in the opening week of 2015/16, the former in the first Championship fixture at Brentford and the latter in the Capital One Cup tie against Stevenage.
"They’ve been there or thereabouts in terms of playing,” McCarthy continued. "Andre’s a different ball game altogether, he’s a really talented footballer and anyone who is 16 and gets in the team has got to be that. And he can handle it physically.
"The other two boys, Josh Emmanuel has been out on loan and I was surprised that that didn’t work out at Crawley, albeit his preparation for [his first] game was to travel over Friday, travel to Carlisle and play, he probably didn’t know anybody’s names.
"So it wasn’t the easiest for him and I don’t think he had a particularly good game and it didn’t work out.
"But whenever he’s played in the team here, he played at Manchester United, played at Brentford, he’s done well, so it was nice to see them play against the MK Dons.”
McCarthy says 21-year-old centre-half Digby’s signing on a permanent basis on a free transfer should be tied up without a hitch.
"He’s not our player but we’ve got an agreement with Barnsley, so effectively he is if he agrees to it, I guess.”
Meanwhile, 19-year-old central defender Clarke and Portsmouth will be involved in the League Two play-offs, although the Blues defender is currently an injury doubt with a groin problem.
Pompey, who finished sixth and also feature ex-Blues keeper Brian Murphy and winger Gary Roberts, take on Plymouth with the first leg at Fratton Park on Thursday before they visit Home Park on Sunday.