- Leicester City Under-23s were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion Under-23s on Monday
- Kasey McAteer was on the scoresheet at LCFC Training Ground, netting for the first time this season
- He told LCFC TV that there has been a gradual improvement in the team's performance during the last month
- The midfielder also looked ahead to next Monday's clash with Chelsea Under-23s at LCFC Training Ground (7pm kick-off GMT)
City took a first-half lead courtesy of McAteer's close-range header, but could not see out the win as the visitors responded 10 minutes from time to take a share of the spoils.
Despite being frustrated at not earning all three points, the 19-year-old felt there were plenty of positives as the Foxes ended a run of four consecutive defeats in Premier League 2 Division 1.
"We're a bit disappointed," the goalscorer admitted, speaking to LCFC TV after full-time. "Going into half-time 1-0 up, we had a good team talk, we just wanted to keep going from the first half.
"We gave away a penalty, it was a penalty at the end of the day, but luckily they’ve missed that and then obviously Harvey [Godsmark-Ford], I feel sorry for him, but he's put it in his own net, he’ll learn from that.
"We come away with a 1-1 and I think it's a fair result. If we had got the three points today, we’d be much happier. But obviously we've got a point, we're not coming away with a loss, that’s the main thing, so we've definitely improved."
The midfielder's first goal of the campaign, netted during his ninth league appearance for the Under-23s, came when Harry McKirdy saw a shot parried by Brighton 'keeper Carl Rushworth, with McAteer on hand to convert.
After not featuring in the first four games of 2020/21, McAteer has played 90 minutes in City's last four Premier League 2 fixtures and believes it has helped him to adapt to the rigours of this level, compared to Academy football.
"I'm very happy [with the goal]," he admitted. "It's been coming! I’ve had a few chances in the previous games, it’s just not been going in, but tonight luckily I’ve nodded it in and it’s got me a goal.
"It’s a massive step up for me. Physically, it's unbelievable. The running they expect of you, it’s much different to Under-18s football, but I feel like I'm getting up to the terms with that now. I'm looking to kick on from that as well."
The Foxes will welcome Chelsea Under-23s to LCFC Training Ground next Monday, a team who pipped them to the title last season and also narrowly beat Leicester 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Kingsmeadow back in December 2020.
"We just need to take it into next week and just be, obviously, a bit more lucky," McAteer said, previewing next week's meeting with the London club.
"We might get a bit more luck, create more chances and then hopefully we can get three points next week.
"I think Chelsea, they're a great team. They’ve got players with real quality but I think if we do what we do best, believe in ourselves, hopefully we'll get a result.
"But we know what we're going to expect, they're going to be a good side."