Academy Director John Ramshaw admits that our youth team players are relishing tonight’s FA Youth Cup First Round tie at Preston North End.
Our youngsters head to Deepdale unbeaten so far this term, as they currently sit top of both the FCYA (Midland Division) and the H-K-L North Midlands’ League.
“It’s certainly the biggest night of the season for the players,” said Ramshaw.
“[The FA Youth Cup] is something that they have been looking forward to immensely since they joined the club, and tonight is a great opportunity to measure their ability against another professional club.
“One of the biggest tasks that I’ve had this week is keeping their feet on the floor, because they are so excited and up for this match.
“It’ll be a great experience for the lads tonight. They’re going to be playing at one of the most famous football stadiums in the world, so it’s a marvellous opportunity for them.
“The game is a change from the ‘bread and butter’ of the Football Conference Youth Alliance and H-K-L North Midlands’ League, which we play in on a week-to-week basis.
He continued: “[Preston] have got an established youth policy, whilst ours is still very much in its infancy, having only been re-established a couple of years ago.
“If the boys perform to the best of their ability and the level which we know they can perform to, we have got a chance of winning tonight.”
The winners of tonight’s match will face either Macclesfield Town or York City on home soil in the Second Round, which is expected to take place in November.
If you can’t make tonight’s match at Deepdale, we will have updates on Twitter throughout the match. There will also be a match report on www.mansfieldtown.net.
