An early James McAtee penalty and second half strike from Carlos Borges handed City a 2-0 win, which extended our gap over the Hammers to seven points at the PL2 summit in the process.
The visitors were faced with an uphill battle when Jamal Baptiste was shown a second yellow for a late challenge on Darko Gyabi just after the half hour and, in the eyes of Barry-Murphy, City took full advantage.
Indeed, while we weren’t able to make the scoreline more emphatic – thanks in no small part to the heroics of Hammers stopper Kristian Hegyi - the EDS boss was proud of how his side saw out the result following the red card.
“I think it can be very challenging for a team when the opposition has a player sent off and the expectation amongst our own players is that we should create more chances,” he reflected.
“I thought we managed that situation really well and I think the respect we have for the opposition was probably important in how we approached the game.
“We were very respectful and professional in the way we played the game.”
City were quicker out of the traps at the Academy Stadium and were rewarded for their bright start when Liam Delap was brought down inside the area by Aji Alese inside six minutes.
James McAtee made no mistake from the spot with a sumptuous dinked finish, setting the tone for a convincing win and performance.
Indeed, the EDS boss was delighted by his side’s attitude from the get-go: “To get that early goal was a great start for us.
“I think there were signs early in the game of how dangerous the opposition could be especially when we gave the ball away.
“We understood that, but I thought we managed it well overall and it was a very pleasing performance from our lads.”
Victory over the Hammers extended our EDS’ winning run to six successive PL2 matches, and Barry-Murphy is pleased by the development he’s seen over the course of the campaign so far.
The EDS boss also highlighted the tight-knit bond among the players, in which a healthy competition for places has pushed the squad to new heights.
“Just to see the growth and the way the squad’s evolved over the course of the season is very important,” Barry-Murphy reflected.
CITY+ | SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
“I feel as if we’ve got to keep pushing these guys and what I’ve noticed is there’s a real team spirit amongst themselves.
“There’s lads at different stages of their career even at such a young age and how they respect each other while competing against each other is something that’s very challenging for them and us.
“But to see them come together throughout the course of the game and season is very important and to try to maintain that creation of a common goal is something that as a staff we’re very keen to continue with.”
