Blooding Younger Talent - Roach hints at opportunities for younger players

Head of Youth Joe Roach says a number of younger lads may get the opportunity to feature for the Under 18s in the forthcoming weeks.

The Youth team were knocked out the Alliance Cup in a 2-1 defeat by Luton at the weekend although there are still four matches to play in the competition.

The majority of the squad have been involved in midweek reserve matches and Roach is being careful to avoid the youngsters burning out.

He said, "We had five players out and that doesn't help things. Luton have a decent side, but you can't win a football match on a performance of forty-five minutes. We have to apply ourselves better throughout the match.

"I doubt whether any Luton players would have also played on Tuesday for the reserves and that can take its toll a little.

We've used the cup to get a feel for different opposition and to try a few things so there are things we can take back into the league matches. I need to look at longevity of players and not push them through too many matches.

"The schoolboys have been excellent and I'm not worriesd about throwing them in."