The past few weeks have seen quite a change in personnel of the Youth Team in matches as the older boys from the squad have spent time away at senior clubs gaining valuable "work experience" as they push towards securing themselves a professional contract.

This has therefore meant that, other than in the games against QPR and Shrewsbury, we have fielded teams made up almost entirely of first year scholars and Under 15/16 players and the last four league matches have all resulted in single goal defeats to much older sides.

In the last two games, we staged a spirited fightback away to Colchester with goals from Lewis Hallford and Aynsley McDonald but went down 3 - 2. Then we were beaten 2 - 1 at home to Leyton Orient having led from a stunning strike from Aynsley after a good first hour. Unfortunately, we let our usually high standards drop for the last half hour and paid the price with two late goals conceded.

On the plus side, we are fielding next year's team six months early so these youngsters are getting exposure to "the next level" in their development sooner than anticipated and, therefore, we are able to start working with them in the areas they need to improve on as individual players for the remainder of the season and over the summer months.

In the absence of Sean Calcutt and Jack Higgins, for example, Jake Gillingwater has moved up from the Under 16s to play at Centre Back in the last four games and has acquitted himself well.We have been able to analyse parts of Jake's game from the videos of matches and he has come in to train with the squad during the week so that we can work on the aspects that need attention.

While the recent results are disappointing in terms of our overall league position, the aim of a scholarship is that you are looking to secure a future in football at the highest level you possibly can - preferably at this club -and the experience that Sean Calcutt, Jack Higgins, Alex Phillips, Joe Day and Lewis Hilliard are getting in senior football matches will give them a better chance to fully develop to the best of their ability as footballers. My decisions, therefore, at this time of the season are based on what is best for the development of the players individually rather than the youth team league position. We are still able to bring everyone back together for "competitive" matches which, as most people will be aware, has led to our making the Midland Youth Cup Final at Port Vale in April.

The boys mentioned above have all done well on work experience loans - Jack Higgins is now at Billericay Town in the Ryman Premier and Lewis Hilliard is at Hemel Hempstead Town who are in the play off places in the Southern Premier while Joe Day has had two games for Brackley Town in the same league. More locally, Alex Phillips is at Newport Pagnall Town and Sean Calcutt is a Daventry Town with both teams pushing for the UCL Premier League title.

All of these leagues offer a challenge to the players that they would not get in the Puma Junior Alliance and we've been very pleased with how they have all performed so far. Just this week, as well, Michael Emery and James Freshwater have joined Raunds Town in the UCL Premier on similar terms and we wish them well.