Olly Lee praised Norwich City Under-21s after they secured a 4-2 victory over West Ham United at the Avant Training Centre in PL2.
Elliot Myles scored twice, while three first-team players featured for the young Canaries, with Lee pleased by the way his side stepped up and delivered a strong performance.
“Really pleased with the performance,” Lee said. “Obviously, it was good to have the three first-team players with us and getting a good shift out there.
“It's always nice to win the game, and I thought the Under-21s group stood up. They didn't just put all the onus on the first-team players, and that's what I said to them before: make people take notice of you guys. Hopefully, I think they did that, so I'm really pleased with them tonight.”
Lee felt City improved after the break, despite being disappointed with the goals they conceded.
“We conceded two really poor goals that we're disappointed with. It gave them an opportunity to be back in it when I didn't feel they should have been,” he said.
“We play quite expansive and quite open, so we've got to be ready in those transition moments. But the boys reacted really well and came out in the second half and, as you said, we were quite in control.
“This is a good West Ham side and they've got pace and power on the counter-attack, so we had to be on our guard for that. I thought we did that better in the second half, nullifying their counter-attack threat.”
The match also marked an important step in Mirko Topić's return, with the midfielder completing 45 minutes after 11 months out.
“The bits I've seen, he seems like a real top pro, a really good guy,” Lee said. “Nobody wishes that injury upon anyone. Eleven months out, coming to a new club is a lot.
“He got through 45 minutes, which as a club we're really pleased for. Hopefully, he can kick on from here.”
Lee was also full of praise for Myles, whose two goals continued an encouraging start to the season.
“He was excellent today,” Lee said. “He's really getting more effective in the final third, which we know he's got undoubted quality, and more effective without the ball, which is so important to be a top-end Championship player, Premier League player, whatever his goal may be.
“Tonight he did it well. We need more and more and more of that.”