Rushden & Diamonds Youth Team are in FA Youth Cup action tonight, with Luton Town the opponents at Nene Park Pitch 2.
The winners will face at away fixture at either Wednesfield or Rocester in the 3rd Round Qualifying, the final round before the Football league teams enter and the competition proper commences.
We interviewed Head of Youth Paul Driver ahead of the big game.
Wednesday night, Luton Town in the FA Youth Cup, what's the status with the loan players, and is everyone fit for selection?
I've recalled Lewis Hallford and Matt Evans, they've had 6 weeks as per the agreement.
We've got this game and then there might be some involvement of my lads in the Hillier Cup game against Daventry next week, you'd expect it to be the boys that have been out on loan so we'll see. All the loan players will come back for those two games and then we'll take a view of what level some of them go back at, Lewis Hallford has done very well at Raunds, we might look to place him and some of the other boys higher as we have with Aynsley at Wingate & Finchley.
Adam Sharpe's got suspected glandular fever, so we'll leave any decision until very late depending on how he is, but the rest of the players are available for selection.
Its unusual having such strong opposition against Luton in the second round, and then Rocester or Wednesfield, no disrespect to them but they're not such attractive draws, for the next round.
They're both in the League below Solihull Moors in the Midland Senior Youth League. You just get that, Cambridge could face Histon in their section of the draw and they'd be far stronger than anybody else, you get that, its one of those things of cup football, we've just got to deal with that and see how we go.
Luton are still playing in the Puma Youth Alliance, how will that affect things?
The difference between us is that we've won games and Luton haven't, but Luton are playing at a higher level. We've got to see if we can take that winning form and winning mentality into the game and pickup the pace to their game. Obviously we've played the likes of Chelsea and Wallsall, Peterborough and Bradford City recently in pre-season - so we've played their level, but since the start of the season the level we've played against is a little bit lower.
We've just got to get the tempo up to their level as quick as we can, and so then use the confidence from winning games to try and win through on Wednesday.
Rushden & Diamonds Youth v Luton Town Youth
FA Youth Cup Second Round Qualifying
Wednesday 7th October 2009
Kick Off 7:45pm
Nene Park - Pitch 2
Adults £3
Concessions £1
