Blues defender Kane Vincent-Young felt the display in last night’s 2-0 Papa Johns Trophy tie against Arsenal’s U21s was pleasing from start to finish.
Goals from Dom Ball and Freddie Ladapo saw the Blues to their second victory from two in the group stage of the competition and all but through to round two.
"A really pleasing performance from start to finish,” Vincent-Young said. "That isn’t the kind of test we’re going to face every week in the league, a team that came here and tried to play in a similar style to us.
"It was a really good game to see where we were at, test ourselves, have a comparison of styles and I think we passed the test really well.”
Regarding his own display, the 26-year-old added: "It was a bit rusty at points but generally I was happy. Obviously I’ve got more to give but 90 minutes was a real positive to me.”
Vincent-Young was in the right-sided full-back/centre-half position using occupied by Janoi Donacien.
"Up and down, defend, attack, a bit of everything, staying solid, pressing but then when you win the ball getting forward and making contributions, so bit of an all-round role,” the former Colchester man explained.
"Playing slightly narrower, making sure I’ve got good connections with the centre-backs is something new that I haven’t done before but something I’m enjoying.”
He believes he is getting better at playing it with every match and work on the training ground.
"For sure, game by game, session by session, it’s not just something that I do when we play, we train every day so it’s just putting it into games,” he continued. "I love playing in this team.”
Vincent-Young could have an opportunity to play in the right wing-back role at Plymouth on Sunday with Wes Burns away with Wales. Did he see the Arsenal game as a chance to stake a claim?
"It’s not something that I particularly thought about,” he reflected. "Tuesday is Tuesday, Sunday is Sunday. I wanted to try and take care of Tuesday, what happens on Sunday, happens.”
The Londoner says the Papa John Trophy is a significant competition for the Blues: "Very important. We’ve got a big squad. We need the games and, of course, there’s a chance to play at Wembley, so we want to progress as far into the competition as we can.”
And with a big final potentially at the end of the run: "Full house at Wembley! Why not?”
In addition, it gives young players a chance to break into first team football with Cameron Humphreys a fixture in the midfield in the cup competitions, while Gerrard Buabo made his debut as a sub last night, following Fraser Alexander, who made his senior bow from the bench in the 6-0 hammering of Northampton.
"Absolutely and the young lads really deserve to be in and around it,” he enthused. "There are some really talented young boys at the club.
"As well as a good game for us older lads, it’s great to see the young lads come in and get some minutes as well.”
Vincent-Young enjoyed playing alongside veteran Richard Keogh, while Ball’s presence in the team took him back to their days in Tottenham’s academy together.
""Fantastic, Keesy’s come in, he’s been a real positive influence on and off the pitch, a real leader as well,” he said.
"And Dom I played with for years, so it’s nice to be back on the pitch with him as well.
"It’s a nice connection, I didn’t think I’d be playing with him at Ipswich, but stranger things have happened.”
Vincent-Young has praise for Ball’s versatility, the ex-QPR man having come on as a sub at centre-half in last week’s 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers while primarily a central midfielder, the position he played last night.
"Absolutely, he’s a player that can do both,” he said. "He’s got the technical and physical qualities and that’s great for us in the squad, having versatile players that can do more than one role, that’s going to be needed.”
The full-back believes it’s important to have the type of strength in depth that the Blues have this season.
"Which is what you need ultimately,” he reflected. "We want success at the end of the season and that’s going to require everybody to play different kind of roles.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s live-on-Sky clash with third-place Plymouth at Home Park, he added: "It’s another big game for us, the second big game in a row [after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday].
"But it’s another three points, it’s not something we need to go over the top with, we have to treat the game for what it is, an opportunity to win three more points and hopefully go there and take care of the result.”