Only David Button, Shane Duffy and Gaetan Bong were above 20 years of age on the south coast, and Potter reflected on a youthful night on the south coast, which included a first senior goal for defender Haydon Roberts.
He said, “I’m really pleased that the players all celebrated Haydon’s goal. It was nice for them collectively to have that experience and feel the joy of the goal and crowd.
“Over the course of the game, Aston Villa deserved to go through, but it just goes to show that they had to bring Jack Grealish on to get over the line.
“Despite all of Aston Villa’s quality, at 2-1 we were still in the game and that’s the beauty of football.
“We were hoping to get to that last 15 minutes and perhaps nick a 2-2 draw — it wasn’t to be, but the players gave everything and it was a great experience from them.”
While giving Albion’s younger players an opportunity, this evening’s match provided the majority of Potter’s first-team squad to rest ahead of Saturday’s visit to Stamford Bridge.
Potter spoke further about his decision to include a number of Albion’s under-23 and under-18 players in the squad against the Villans, and the importance of creating a pathway to the top.
“We’ve had a few problems with injuries and the squad has been stretched, so that provided an opportunity for the young lads to play.
“You find out a lot about the guys when they’re out there, and there were some real positives. Aaron Connolly looked really lively and it was nice to see Haydon get his goal.
“You can speak from a coaching perspective, but it’s only when you’re out there and you’re playing against top players that you find out things about your own personal game.
“We’re a club that invests a lot of money and time into the academy, so it’s important to give opportunities and pathways to the players.”