Midfielder Cameron Humphreys admitted the Blues’ 1-1 home draw with Fleetwood was gutting but felt there were still positives to be taken from the game.

Town led for almost the entire game after Luke Woolfenden's second-minute opener, but a deflected equaliser from Cian Hayes in the 96th minute prevented Town from returning to the top of League One, making it a disappointing night for all bar the Lancastrians squad and staff, and their 66-strong travelling support.

“I think it's very gutting. When you concede a late goal, it's never nice. Especially with the way it happened with the deflection and looping in,” Humphreys said.

“All the boys are gutted in the changing room and we do feel like it's points that got away from us, but there are positives to take from it so we'll look at them, reflect on them and go again next week.

“I don't think we can look at them [Plymouth] too much and the teams around us, I think we've got to focus on ourselves.

“At the minute, it's about getting as many points as we can. If it gets to the last few games, then maybe you start looking more at other teams' results and what you need to do and stuff like that.

“But at the minute, I think we've got to take care of what we can take care of and what we can control. So days like today, we really want to focus on ourselves and focus on us getting the three points, which we couldn't quite do.”

Making his sixth start in a row, Humphreys is holding his own in midfield with the fans' November Player of the Month award an acknowledgement of his performances, and the 19-year-old says he is enjoying his football.

“It's always nice to get some recognition from the fans, but I think I'm more focused on getting the three points and how I'm doing each Saturday,” he said.

“I'm really enjoying it. I'm playing with some really good players and players that are helping me a lot, talking to me, leading me and making me feel part of the team.

“So I'm really enjoying my football, playing in a good way and in a good system, so I'm loving every minute of it.

“Skip [Sam Morsy] is brilliant. Both his leadership skills and his ability and control of the game that he has. Playing with him is really good because he's always talking to me, communicating and helping me.

“But also, his range of passing and what he does on the ball really helps the team, so he's a pleasure to play with.

“I feel I've still got a long way to go and still a lot to learn. But I feel each game, I'm getting more confident, trying to impose myself more and more. Today I don't think I was at my best as I don't think the team were. But I'm really enjoying it and hoping to get better and better.”

Humphreys’ decision to stay at Town rather than go out on loan in the summer has paid off. He was keen to learn from those around him and be part of a group where he saw quality. Now he wants to add to his game in terms of goals, assists communication and leadership.

“I think while I wasn't in the team, training was always really good, so that kept me fit and at a good level so I could step into the team and feel like I'm doing my bit,” he explained.

“You say this is why you don't go on loan, but I think it was always for me to train and to be with this group because it's a really good group that really help me both on and off the pitch. So I'm definitely happy I stayed around and I'm really enjoying playing.

“The intensity of the games and the intensity we play at is demanding, but then that comes from the training. All the training prepared me to come into the game because we train at such a high intensity.

“When I stepped into a game, yes, it was a step up and physically demanding, but I felt almost ready for it. So, it's definitely something I'm enjoying.

“I think it's important that I show myself on the pitch, both what I can do with the ball and without the ball.

“Whether that's technical, tactical or telling someone what to do, I think I can develop the leadership skills and learn from people like Skip and Richard Keogh. Their leadership and what they say to me, and how they help me and help others.

“Especially when you're playing in the middle, you can see things other people don't see, so I think it's definitely important to add more communication and leadership to my game.

“I wanted to do a bit more breaking into the box and getting chances from cutbacks, and it [his second-half chance against Fleetwood] fell to me off a deflection and I saw it late. I tried to get a boot on it and it only skimmed off my studs, so it was a bit disappointing.

“I'd have liked to put us 2-0 up, but it's a disappointing one, but I want to keep getting into those positions and the more I get into those positions, I'm sure I'll put some away.

“I think I can definitely add goals and assists to my game. Like I say, getting into more of those positions will help, but I think adding goals would definitely be a positive.”

On being coached by manager Kieran McKenna, he continued: “That was one of the reasons that I wanted to stay and I was happy to be around this first-team group because the coaching is really good.

“Whether it's on a Saturday morning and I'm not in the squad, the coaches are out there and I'm learning and getting better or just the day-to-day coaching, little tactical decisions or technical execution of skills that I can do better, it's really detailed, and I'm really enjoying it.”

Humphreys stepped into the Town midfield due to injuries to Lee Evans and Dom Ball, and now those he stepped in for are coming back.

While Ball is out for the season, Evans is close to a return, while summer signing Panutche Camara continues to work on getting to full fitness after his groin problem.

Rather than showing any trepidation about Evans’s return, Humphreys says he’s relishing competing for his place.

“I think that's the beauty of having a big squad,” he reflected. “When Lee was playing and Dom was playing, the team was playing really well, and we were picking up good points.

“So hopefully Panutche and those two get back fit and we can have strong competition for places in the midfield unit.

“All I can do is perform how I can perform on the pitch and see where that takes me.”

Meanwhile, the midfielder says he’ll be watching England take on Senegal in tomorrow’s World Cup round of 16 game in Qatar.

“We’re in tomorrow for a bit of recovery and then, like I have been, watching most of the World Cup games and seeing a few shocks in there,” he said.

“In terms of England I think we’ve got the job done, did what we needed to do. I still think we can play better and hopefully we do in the next few games and get through, but I’ve really enjoyed watching the whole World Cup.”

Reflecting on fellow 19-year-old Jude Bellingham’s displays, he added: “He’s really good and obviously he’s playing in a similar position to me as well so he’s definitely someone to watch.

“How he conducts himself on the pitch, how at 19 talks to others, talks to older players, so he’s definitely someone I can look at.”

Photo: Matchday Images

johnwarksshorts added 12:01 - Dec 3 Keep up your good performances Cam, you're going to develop into a great midfielder.
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Suffolkboy added 16:47 - Dec 3 His optimism is enormously impressive ,and perhaps indicates why his development is similar ! Keep it up ,young man ., COYB
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blueboy1981 added 13:32 - Dec 4 Where's the ‘positives' in dropping two points to Fteetwood, after taking the lead so early, and then conceding so late ?? Buck your ideas up, you gifted the Second half to them - and we could all see what was going to happen - and it did … !!!
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SickParrot added 14:05 - Dec 4 All the boys should be gutted, given that it's happening regularly! No reflection on Cam who is doing really well for such a young and inexperienced player but his more experienced peers should have prevented us from inviting Fleetwood on by dropping deeper and deeper.
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Michael101 added 15:10 - Dec 4 The boys are gutted, if you got your fingers out and scored when on top a last minute freak goal would not make any difference. You think your gutted just think about the fans that spent money watching that.
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