United head coach Neil Redfearn believes the club’s home grown players will continue to improve in the first team, while also helping to bring the best out of their more experienced team-mates.

Redfearn’s opening game since taking the job on a permanent basis, a 3-1 defeat at Cardiff, ended with four Academy products on the pitch.

Alex Mowatt was United’s goalscorer and he started in South Wales alongside fellow Thorp Arch graduate Lewis Cook in midfield, while Sam Byram and Chris Dawson both featured as second-half substitutes.

"In the end, we had Byram, Dawson, Cook and Mowatt on the pitch. They’re going to be good players," said Redfearn.

"It makes the team quite young which might be an issue but if they’re good enough, they’re old enough.

"It’s up to the senior boys to grasp the nettle and make sure the professional things are done well.

"It was disappointing, though, the result. But I have to say there was one or two things that came out of it which were quite pleasing."

United are now seven games without a win in the Championship and Redfearn bemoaned their start to the second half after seeing positive signs in the opening 45 minutes.

"It is a tough game anyway, Cardiff away. When you’re coming in on the back of six games without a win, it’s tough," he said.

"But I thought we set our stall out quite well. I thought the tempo of things was quite good with regards to us dictating the state of the game.

"We controlled the game and managed the game in the first half without them truly threatening.

"We were looking to kick on and maybe play on that uncertainty that you’re hoping is going to creep in from the home side.

"But the twenty minutes before half-time undid everything."