Head Coach Slaven Bilić was full of praise for his youthful Watford side, after their latest gutsy performance earned an impressive 2-0 win over Blackpool in the Sky Bet Championship on Graham Taylor Matchday.

Teenage forward Tobi Adeyemo stepped off the bench to make it 1-0 on his league debut 27 minutes into the second half, before Ismaïla Sarr put the result beyond doubt with a composed penalty kick close to the death.

With a host of injuries and other absences continuing to severely limit the numbers available to Bilić, the former Croatia boss handed out five league debuts - to Adeyemo, Ismaël Koné, João Ferreira, Matheus Martins and Jack Grieves - while seven players aged 21 or under were on the pitch draped in yellow at full-time.

“The boys were brilliant,” said Bilić. “We never gave up, we were very together, and we showed incredible spirit. I’m very proud of all of them. Some games mean more than just three points, and this was one of them. We’ve shown what we can do without so many players out, and we’re only going to get better.

“The game was a bit flat in the first half - we started well and hit the bar, and had a lot of possession - but we weren’t dangerous enough where it matters. So, I decided not to wait to make the change - we went to a back four at the start of the second half, and it gave us more going forward.

“The changes made an impact straight away - we were suddenly more creative, and from one of those chances we scored the first goal. We then went on to score a second, and in the end it was a deserved three points.”

Bilić lauded the attitude and desire of the whole squad in the wake of the team’s second successive league victory, particularly showering praise on a couple of the day’s standout young stars.

He said: “We saw Tobi a few days before the Reading game - like some of the other young guys - and I liked what I saw in training. He came on in that game and he lifted the whole team with his running and his bravery, which is what strikers are asked of in this division.

“We were always planning on bringing him on for Bayo, because Bayo hasn’t trained much since Norwich, but he came on in a pressured situation where we needed a goal - which wasn’t ideal - and he made the most of it.

“What I really like is that he plays with freedom and responsibility. A lot of young players wouldn’t have taken his goal like he did - they would have shied from it because they wouldn’t want to be embarrassed, but he wanted to score. I like that mentality, and I’m really pleased for him.

“[Matheus] Martins also came on and was directly involved in both goals. His shot led to Tobi’s goal, and he won the penalty. He’s been training with us, but he’s still had to come to a completely new country with a different language, and he’s hardly been here this week.

“He had to go to Brazil for his work permit and then to Italy, and I wasn’t sure if he’d be ready to play, but he told me he wanted to be involved. He was great, and the exciting thing is he’ll only get better.”

Hamza Choudhury featured for 68 minutes in his first appearance of 2023, and Bilić is buoyed by the promise of more returnees in the coming weeks, along with the knowledge he can count on the club’s Academy talent.

The 54-year-old also recognised the leadership and quality demonstrated by some of his more experienced players, with stand-in skipper Craig Cathcart and goalscorer Sarr coming in for praise.

Bilić added: “We always had in mind that Hamza would play 60 or 70 minutes, because he’s just come back, and it was good to have him in the team. We know players are going to continue to come back, and if they come back in good shape, and we’re able to add some more names during the transfer window, we’ll be in good shape. I certainly wouldn’t be afraid of playing any team in this division.

“We’re still in this situation with missing players, but the main reason I’m excited tonight is because this team would have been extremely young for a friendly game, nevermind a Championship game! We’ve come through it, and shown what we’re about.

“The Academy lads know they’re with us because of the injury situation, but they’ve all been great and we know more about them now. We know that they are there, and they can help us if we need them.

“In the second half Cathcart was playing alongside [James] Morris, and [Francisco] Sierralta alongside João Ferreira, which I thought worked well. Cathcart has to step up in these types of games because he is the class master, and that’s exactly what he did. He was brilliant.

“Sarr was unbelievable, as well. In these sorts of situations you require extraordinary personalities, and he’s one of the players who brought that today. I talked to him about stepping up, and he did. He was leading the team, encouraging other players, and I liked the fact he really embraced that challenge. Everyone showed their value today, and it was a great display.”