Connor Riley-Lowe could not hide his delight at starting his first league game at St James's Park, despite Exeter City's 2-1 defeat to Hartlepool United on Saturday.
The 18-year-old, who started at left wing-back, has featured for City on two other occasions, but both those appearances have come in cup competitions.
He also has not started a first team game at St James's Park before, and admitted it was a special feeling walking out in front of 3,500 spectators.
"It was class," said Riley-Lowe. "It is the best feeling when you are walking out of the tunnel with the lads and the crowd are cheering. It is something I'll never forget."
City started the game brightly having a number of chances in the first half – the best of which fell to Matt Grimes when he hit a 30-yard drive towards the right corner of the Hartlepool net and forced Scott Flinders into a smart save.
However, the performance level dropped in the second half as Michael Woods and Charlie Wyke put the Pools into a 2-0 lead.
Riley-Lowe praised the City supporters, who stuck behind him and the team as they almost forced their way back into the match.
A goal from Christian Ribeiro, when he bundled home a rebound from a Tom Nichols' header, gave the home side some hope with 10 minutes to go.
However, they could not find a leveller.
"I could constantly hear the crowd getting behind me throughout the game, which is great," he said. "Then when we got the goal and it was 2-1, it went mental again.
"We were hoping to get another goal, but it just wasn't quite our day.
"Scot Bennett had a header late on, which he couldn't quite get to.
"On another day we could have got an equaliser, we could have got a draw and it could have been a good result.
"I think the game was there for the taking, especially after the first half we had," added Riley-Lowe.
"But in the second half we started too slow and gave the ball away too cheaply at times and they managed to nick a goal. Sometimes that is all a team needs – one goal to get a bit of confidence.
"They then got a second and it was hard for us to get back in the game then. We did try, we just couldn't find an equaliser."
Having come into the game on the back of four straight league wins, the loss is a blow to City, especially as Hartlepool started the game bottom of the table.
However, Riley-Lowe said it is important that the players pick themselves up quickly ahead of this weekend's match with Southend United.
"We have just got to pick ourselves back up and go again next week," he said.
"We have to get back on that winning streak as soon as possible, because when you have got one win it helps you get another. When you are rolling it is hard for you to get stopped."
Speaking about his own chances of playing on Saturday, Riley-Lowe added: "I think I have proved that Tis can trust me a bit more now. I will be pleased if I keep playing or still being involved in the squad."
