Paul Jewell was full of praise for teenager Josh Carson as Ipswich defeated Crystal Palace.
Town boss pleased with starlet; Freedman 'optimistic'
Paul Jewell was full of praise for teenager Josh Carson after his first professional goals gave Ipswich a 2-1 win against Crystal Palace.
The 17-year-old stole the show with a goal in each half as the victory pushed Crystal Palace closer to the Championship relegation zone.
Teenager Connor Wickham, who signed a new contract this week, has been the centre of attention at Portman Road for the last 12 months but Jewell hailed Carson's performance.
He said: "It makes a change talking about another 17-year-old, rather than Connor Wickham.
"It's a great day for him and hopefully the start of plenty of goals for Ipswich Town.
"He's not fazed by playing in the first team and he was a thorn in their side, certainly for the first hour.
"His first goal was a cross but he deserved that little bit of luck.
Change
"He had lots of the ball and showed a few flicks and tricks.
"He certainly doesn't lack confidence and he's tough. He's not scared and he's got an eye for goal.
"The kid's got a big chance and can play in a number of positions, so he's got a lot of strings to his bow."
Paddy McCarthy grabbed a late strike for Palace, but it will be a tense end to the season for Dougie Freedman's men who are just five points above the drop zone, although the manager feels his team can be optimistic about their chances of survival.
He said: "We looked solid at the back and created chances
"I've seen some managers bluff it and say 'we're only looking up' but I'm honestly not looking behind because I know - and I'm cocky enough to say - that we've got a good enough team.
"That's why I'm not concerned by the likes of Preston and Sheffield United.
"The players in the dressing room are good enough to move up two or three places.
"It's a bold statement but one from the heart.
"We might have the worst away record but we've got one of the best home records.
"Maybe it's a psychological thing with the away results but the only way to put that right is with hard work."
The Eagles chief added: "If you go on statistics, chances, possession and opportunities, we definitely deserved something from the game.
"The guys in the dressing room are absolutely devastated because the performance was fantastic, as it is most weeks."
