Tony Carr was proud of the efforts of his young West Ham United team in battling back to secure an FA Premier Academy League point against Ipswich Town.
Academy Director Carr blooded no fewer than five Under-16s in Saturday's fixture against the Tractor Boys, who had earlier knocked holders Arsenal out of this season's FA Youth Cup.
Full-back Jake Young was handed his debut at U18 level, while midfielders Dominic Vose, Blair Turgott and Mathias Fanimo and striker Robert Hall were all given another chance to impress.
The quintet, along with their six team-mates and yet another U16 - substitute Dylan Tombides - did not let Carr down, helping the Hammers to secure a hard-fought share of the spoils through Vose's late equaliser at Little Heath.
SUPPORT THE ACADEMY AT THE END OF SEASON AWARDS DINNER "We are going to try and blood some of the Under-16s at this stage of the season and I thought we did really well against Ipswich's FA Youth Cup team," said Carr.
"Ipswich had a lot of territory and possession, but we worked really hard and, even though we conceded to go behind late on, we stuck at it and equalised very late in the game.
"The young boys acquitted themselves well and I thought we thoroughly deserved the draw."
The U18s, who sit sixth in the Group A table five points behind second-placed Crystal Palace, return to action with a trip to ninth-placed Southampton on Saturday morning.
West Ham United: Loveday, Young, Driver, McNaughton, Craig, Vose, Turgott, Purdy (Tombides), Hall, Subuola, Fanimo
*West Ham United Academy graduate Daniel Kearns, who is now in his first year as a professional, has been named in the Republic of Ireland's squad for a training camp to be held at Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire between 28 February and 4 March.
The Irish will use the gathering as preparation for their upcoming UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifying matches against England, hosts Ukraine and Bosnia at the end of May. There, Kearns could face West Ham club-mate Frank Nouble.
Before then, the Irish have a home friendly double-header with Poland arranged for 6 and 8 April.
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