Luke Williams admits Albion’s youngsters have been given light at the end of the tunnel by their team mates’ starring roles at The Amex.

But the development squad coach says the “overnight success” which saw Jake Forster-Caskey, Steve Cook and Grant Hall help beat Southampton has been a long time in the making.

The teen trio all did their bit in the 3-0 success over Saints as Albion overcame the absence of ten senior players through injury and suspension.

Anton Rodgers and Yaser Kasim were both on standby for recent games and there could be more hope for the development squad players as Gus Poyet names his 18-man squad to face Wrexham in the FA Cup.

Williams has been in charge of the development squad since the early weeks of last season and admits there have been times when the mix of youth team graduates and unpolished gems picked up as free agents have wondered when their big day would come.

As well as featuring against Saints, Cook has earned the chance of regular League One football at Bournemouth and others will have big decisions to make when their second season of reserve team action ends in Spring.

Williams said: “There are times when young players get frustrated and feel their chance will never come.

“Then suddenly three chances are handed out in a massive game.

“When the three development squad boys played against Southampton, my father said ‘It’s an overnight success 18 months in the making’. I think that’s a nice way of putting it.

“We know our role within the club.

“We try to work on things in a low pressure environment without the stress of Championship football and the need for the next three points.

“We can work on an idea the gaffer and Tano (Mauricio Taricco) and Charlie (Oatway) have about the way we want to play football at this club. We get on with things quietly.”

He added: “To see three players step up for the toughest game of the season and perform takes a bit of the gloom away, makes people a bit more positive.

“I’ve got complete confidence in the boys in the devlopment squad to repeat the form they show me day in and day out.”

So how did he rate the boys, including Hall out of position at left-back?

“I don’t think Grant has ever played there but he is an intelligent footballer who can deal with the ball,” Williams said.

“If you analyse that bit of play just ahead of the first goal, not only was his passing spot on but his movement between the passes gave other players an option.

“When Grant got the ball in that tight area, he had been in that position 1,000 times in training and matches with us and he was confident.”

Forster-Caskey was less of a surprise package. Fans knew all about him and gave him a tremendous ovation before the game.

“If anyone can deal with that expectation it is Jake because he is very strong mentally,” Williams said. “His motivation comes from within.

“The fear of letting himself down is greater than any expectations there might be from the fans.

“A lot of people have been telling him for years what a good player he is. He can cope with that. His standards are high “As for Cooky, I went to watch him play once for Bournemouth and saw another game on DVD.

“He is another bright, intelligent footballer. The way he dealt with playing centre-back in League One, then right-back in the Championship against the leaders shows his class.”

So what about the Wrexham game? Anybody fancy it?

“The players are looking at this game knowing that, potentially, they could be put in the firing line. Every single one of them is ready,” Williams said.

“We must stress that, if they go into the first-team squad and perform, they will stay there.

“They are not just makeshift players who will automatically come straight back out.

“The majority of our development squad players are coming up to the end of their contracts.

“We have the task of deciding whether they stay with us or are best moving on.

“But we will make sure we help them as much as we can.”