SAINTS’ technical director Martin Hunter believes that the Checkatrade Trophy has enormous value in the development of the club’s young players and hailed the performance of his side after taking a well-earned point from League One Charlton Athletic tonight.

Hunter, who is in charge of Saints’ Under-23s, was pleased with the 0-0 draw at The Valley in the club's first Group E match in the revamped competition, although was disappointed to lose 5-4 in a penalty shootout to miss out on a bonus point.

“I thought they were terrific from start to finish,” he said of his players. “It looked like a Southampton team playing our way.

“I was very pleased in terms of our defending and pressing and the way that we moved the ball through the thirds.”

Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy missed the crucial spot kick that gave Charlton the extra point, but Hunter was keen not to put too much emphasis on the shootout and would rather take the positives after his side more than held their own against senior Football League opposition.

“I was disappointed to lose it like that,” he said. “We planned what we were doing and the final penalty has hit the underside of the bar and gone out. The most pleasing thing is that we’ve got a point here against Charlton with a very young side – that’s good.

“The crux of the matter is the game. The penalty shootout is a peripheral thing. It’s how the players have coped in the 90 minutes of football.”

Saints did extremely well and could have had the win if Harrison Reed had dispatched a first half penalty after Jake Hesketh was fouled.

Hunter believes that the experiences of playing in a competition that involves established first team players can only be a benefit to Staplewood’s starlets.

“It’s very important,” he said of the competition. “It fits in with the philosophy of the club to give them as many experiences as they can and playing in a competition like this in front of crowd against senior players gives us a chance to benchmark them to put a marker down within the club.”