Tristan Nydam hopes last night’s impressive display in the 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Crystal Palace showed manager Mick McCarthy, his assistant Terry Connor, the rest of the staff and the Blues' fans that the club’s young players are pushing for places in the senior side on a more regular basis.

McCarthy fielded Town's youngest-ever first-team line-up with an average age of just 20 against a strong, if not full strength, Eagles side and matched the Premier League outfit until the 76th minute when James McArthur scored the first of his two goals.

On-loan Manchester City winger Bersant Celina pulled a goal back for the Blues in injury time and New Zealand international Monty Patterson, one of seven debutants on the night, even went close to equalising with a header in the dying seconds.

“It shows the fans, shows the gaffer and TC and the rest of the coaching staff that everyone is pushing for a place, everyone is trying to make themselves a professional footballer,” Nydam, at 17 the youngest player involved, told BBC Radio Suffolk.

“It was great, the boys did themselves proud, did the club proud and I think the fans are proud of us as well.”

He added: “It was a stepping stone for all of us and we’ve just got to keep working at it.”

Were there additional nerves playing in front of a crowd of almost 10,000 facing some familiar Premier League names?

“I wasn’t that nervous and we had no pressure on us, we just had to go out and enjoy ourselves and impress the gaffer,” the academy product said.

“He told us to go out an enjoy ourselves, do what we usually do, and that they’ll be nervous because they’re going up against names they don’t know, so just go and enjoy yourselves.

“We were up against full internationals, who have got loads of Premier League experience, but I think we dealt with them well, to be fair.”

As the game progressed and remained 0-0, did he think the Blues might even sneak a victory? “Of course, even when it was 2-0 we went and got a goal but we were just a bit too tired at the end, although [Monty’s header] was very close and we were all off our seats on the bench.”

There were impressive performances throughout the side with centre-halves George Fowler and Pat Webber solid.

“They were fantastic, dealt with the strikers well, played out from the back,” England U18 cap Nydam reflected. “I think they did themselves proud.”

Up front, Australian striker Ben Folami put in a battling, hard-working display: “He put himself about the pitch against Premier League centre-halves who have been playing in the Premier League for I don’t know how long, lots of years. I think he’s done himself justice.”

Nydam, who had friends from Ipswich and Colchester watching him from the stands, has now made three starts and one sub appearance for the Blues since making his senior debut in the Carabao Cup first round tie at Luton earlier in the month.

He believes he has already improved as a player in those few games: “Massively. Physically it’s been very tough but I’ve just use that as experience and keep doing what I’m doing and make myself a better player.

“One hundred per cent, I’ve got better with every game, I’ve just got to get used to playing in the Championship, used to playing with the first team.

“I’ve got to keep my head down, the boys have got to keep their heads down and keep pushing and impressing the gaffer and TC and the rest of the coaching staff."

Is the physical side of the game the biggest difference? “Yes, I was surprised by the jump from the U23s to the first team, it’s a massive jump.

"We played Luton and that was a physical game and then against Barnsley the level up was just massive.”

He says the senior players have been a great help to him and Flynn Downes, who also broke into the first team in the opening couple of games of the season.

“They’ve been great, helped me loads,” he said. “Skusey helped me in the centre of the park, the boys have just been telling me and Flynn to go out and enjoy ourselves and I think we’ve done that.”

Nydam was at left-back last night but says he prefers his primary role as a central midfielder: “I feel more comfortable in the centre but if the gaffer wants me to play left-back I’ll do it for him.”

Considering Town’s excellent first few weeks of the season, he added: “It’s been a great start, I couldn’t ever have imagined it but we’ve just got to keep it going and try and impress the fans, keep the run going and hopefully push for a play-off place.”

Photos: Action Images/TWTD

martin587 added 15:37 - Aug 23 I'm still smiling about the performance last night.It was wonderful to watch the lads put up such a strong solid performance against a hardened professional premier side.👍
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HarryfromBath added 15:41 - Aug 23 Tristan had a superb game, linking well with Celina in the first half in particular and he showed a strong defensive side to his game when handling Sullay Kaikai and Jason Lokilo, two very tricky opponents. However, one of the most pleasing aspects of last night's game was how Tristan, Flynn Downes and Adam McDonnell assumed more of a leadership role both in their calm and composed play and also in how they encouraged and navigated their team-mates though the game. It was brilliant seeing this crop of talented young players announce themselves the way they did last night.

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whosroundisitanyway added 16:01 - Aug 23 Nothing but positives to come from this. We now have a massive squad for Saturday. None of those lads would be out of place in the first team. What a season we have to look forward to. COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!!
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dirtydingusmagee added 17:31 - Aug 23 those lads showed they can step up,and I sincerely hope that performance isn't forgotten and overlooked. Not going to single anyone out as all played well and as a team. Obviously Celina is a loan player from a top prem club so was expected to perform well, but equally cant be considered as a future player for town , and ''Gerks '' is established ,albeit no 2 .The rest of the team showed they have got what takes to progress. Well done lads.

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Taricco_Fan added 18:07 - Aug 23 The young lads did themselves, their families, the club and the fans proud.
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jollyroger added 19:42 - Aug 23 Great display by the young lads we might be in with a good shout of winning the F A youth cup for the third time this year
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Morgan added 21:54 - Aug 23 Sorry Taricco fan- didn't mean to mark down. Sausage fingers!
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Guthrum added 21:58 - Aug 23 Good point, jollyroger - with this experience and the confidence they've gained, our youths will be able to terrify teams from other clubs who have known nothing but U23 standard and lack of pressure.
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runningout added 23:38 - Aug 23 Not sure how I missed the 2 FA Youth cup wins already this year!
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Blue041273 added 10:20 - Aug 24 MM has got selection problems now! Not necessarily in his selection of his starting eleven but he will need to ensure that players like Tristan, Flynn and others in the team that played the other night get game time whether as starters or as subs. It's a hell of a gamble given our current position in the league but one worth taking. MM clearly has reservations about trusting the young lads to do 'a job' for him in the Championship. But there is clearly talent in the U23 squad and that talent should be nurtured for the future by gradually integrating them into the first team squad. The senior squad is short of numbers at the mo but I doubt there is a true supporter who would now deny any of the young lads a chance to fill the gaps.

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