City took the lead at the Joie Stadium after just five minutes when Micah Hamilton set up Kane Taylor to stab home past Hammers keeper Jacob Knightbridge, but the visitors pulled one back shortly after through striker Callum Marshall.
We regained our advantage when Josh Adam fired home a fine strike from the edge of the area, but Gideon Kodua’s second-half strike proved decisive as the points were shared when the final whistle blew.
Despite feeling that we created enough chances to be able to win the game, Barry-Murphy reflected positively on the game, picking out three players who stood out from the touchline.
He said: “If you saw Kane Taylor’s performance in midfield, he literally covered every blade of grass right till the end.
“The same with Tom Galvez, the same with Micah Hamilton.
“I don’t mind singling out players because sometimes you can see a clear image of what you expect our team to look like and those guys optimise everything you want to see in a young Manchester City player.”
It’s been a tough start to the season for the EDS, who have only chalked up one win from their opening six matches in the Premier League 2.
But Barry-Murphy was encouraged by how his much-changed squad from last year’s title triumph is developing in the early stages of the season.
“The signs for me are step by step, we’re improving every single week,” he said.
“They will have bumps along the road because we are going to play difficult games that we will lose.
“Today was hugely satisfying to me and sets us up with what is going to be a very very tough examination in Leipzig.”
The EDS will now travel to face RB Leipzig in midweek for a UEFA Youth League clash on Wednesday 4 October.
