Harrogate Town debutants Emile Acquah, Chanse Headman and Cathal Heffernan impress during Shrewsbury Town loss
Paul Thirlwell was impressed by the contribution of Harrogate Town's three debutants during Saturday's 1-0 loss at Shrewsbury.
The struggling Sulphurites remain stuck in the League Two relegation zone after seeing their awful winless run extended into a 16th match by the team who began the weekend just one place above them in the table.
In truth, there was very little for the travelling supporters to get excited about on another grim afternoon, which saw Jack Evans sent off in the 51st minute after he picked up a second yellow card.
Eleven minutes later, Taylor Perry netted what proved to the game's only goal with an effort from outside the box, and it took until the latter stages for Town to threaten an equaliser when substitute Tom Cursons hit the cross-bar.
But, there were at least some encouraging signs from the three players making their first-ever appearances in Harrogate colours after joining the club last week.
Powerhouse striker Emile Acquah, a loan signing from Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee, looked a handful up front at times and provided the away side with the kind of physical presence that they have been missing in the final third.
At the other end of the pitch, young defenders Chanse Headman and Cathal Heffernan slotted nicely into Town's back three and looked very much at home despite it being both men's first exposure to League Two football.
"I thought that they were outstanding, together with the big man at the top end of the pitch, they gave us something different," Thirlwell told BBC Radio York.
"They add to the squad, the two centre-halves, they are young and they are hungry. They fitted in seamlessly in terms of it being their Football League debuts.
"And the big man is a right handful. When the ball goes up to him, it sticks. We maybe haven't had that to his level for a while with those sort of raw attributes, and he's good with his feet as well.
"He will also be better for the 75 minutes that he played because he hasn't had a great deal of football recently."
On-loan Ipswich Town goalkeeper Henry Gray made his full debut for Harrogate during their midweek EFL Trophy loss to Stockport County, but was another new recruit to play his first League Two minutes on Saturday afternoon.
He may feel that he could have done better with match-winning Perry shot that beat him at his near post, however the New Zealander did make a number of important saves over the course of the 90 minutes.
And Thirlwell has also been pleased by what he has seen of the 20-year-old thus far.
"He has come in and is a great personality and again, has fitted in really well," Town's assistant boss added.
Second-from-bottom Town return to action this Saturday when they entertain 14th-placed Gillingham (3pm).