Nigel Clough was impressed with the way two of Burton Albion's youngest stars rose to the challenge in Saturday's crucial win over Derby County.
The Brewers put in a comprehensive display across the pitch as they revived their faint survival hopes with an impressive triumph over their A38 rivals.
And 19-year-old duo Joe Sbarra and Jacob Davenport were among those singled out by their manager after the game for their notable efforts.
Academy graduate Sbarra, making only his third senior League start for Albion, impressed with his tireless harrying of the Derby back-line and had a hand in all three goals for Liam Boyce, Luke Murphy and Lucas Akins.
Davenport, meanwhile, was back to the form he showed after he joined on loan from Manchester City in January, controlling the game from the base of midfield.
That he did so against a midfield pairing of Joe Ledley and Tom Huddlestone, who have 80 international appearances and a wealth of Premier League experience between them, should not go unnoticed.
"It's credit to them (the players), somebody just asked us if we changed anything," said Clough.
"We just had the same preparation leading up to the game.
"I think the standout thing for me today was having two diminutive 19-year-olds out there who both wanted the ball.
"Both expressed themselves in the situation that we're in.
"Sometimes they don't understand as much the meaning of 17 games with no win at home - they're young, they don't carry that burden which is lovely for them."
Several of Albion's players rivalled each other for the man of the match award, with the standard of Burton's performance all over the pitch making it difficult to pick one player who impressed the most.
But opening goalscorer Boyce was certainly among them, with his manager agreeing, saying he had his most impressive game in yellow and black.
The striker showed what he could have offered Albion for the first half of the season had he not been cruelly robbed of that opportunity through a serious knee injury picked up in pre-season.
Boyce pleased his manager, a former striker himself, with his all-round game.
The Northern Ireland international battled, brought his teammates into game and showed great instinct to evade Derby's defenders at the back-post for his opener.
A clever inside pass to Hope Akpan allowed the midfielder to get the shot off that Scott Carson could only parry into the feet of Akins for his third, too.
And Akpan was also due some credit for his performance - and rightly got it.
"It was brilliant - Hope's played well for the last six or eight weeks," Clough added.
"But the one who had his best game today was Liam Boyce.
"He put in a good old centre-forward's performance today.
"He got a goal, a tap-in from two yards.
"And if anything he shows that we would have been in a better position if he'd have been fit for six months.
"Just his whole performance was excellent today.
"He held the ball up, stopped the ball for us.
"He got a goal and had a hand in another one for us. We've missed him."
