We chatted to Head of Youth at Rushden & Diamonds, Paul Driver ahead of the Youth Team's FA Youth Cup 3rd Round Qualifying Fixture away at Rocester tonight
Rocester Youth v Rushden & Diamonds Youth
FA Youth Cup sponsored by e.on 3rd Round Qualifying
Thursday 22nd October 2009 - 7:45pm
The Hillsfield, Rocester
So Paul, Rocester away in the FA Youth Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
We went to watch them last week at Rugby, so we've got a fairly good idea of how we'd play against them. I expect the team to start exactly the same as it did in the Luton game, with just little tweaks probably to play against them, as oppose to how we played against Luton.
If we do it right, and we do it professionally then I don't see us having a problem. Its at their place, I don't know what the pitch will be like but it's a big incentive of Northampton in the next round if we get through.
Eight of these players were involved in the game last year when we got beaten by Northampton, they'll want to get through, there will be no lack of will or desire to get through. We have no other League games this week, so we've had a full week to prepare for it, the team will do the right things throughout preparation for the game, if we do that we should be okay.
Its important for the boys, its like the FA cup is for the first team isn't it?
It is, we talk about it right from pre-season when the qualifying draws come out, for the younger players it is their FA Cup. There are eight of them who lost out to Northampton as first years last year; we felt that we could have won - so there's the incentive for a bit of revenge there.
There's nothing to fear if you do get Northampton there is there?
No absolutely not, we saw that with Luton, who are at the same level - the second year boys that we've got now weren't just bit part players last season, the midfield four and Nabil up front, with Aynsley at the back were all involved in the major games last season, its not like we're weaker this year now that we're out of the league.
Add to that Sean Shields, who arguably has been our standout player, he's a second year as well in terms of age, although he's in his first year here at the club - you are looking at 9 out of the 11 players on the pitch being second years, most of which were with us last season and who did well, (apart from the end of the season where we farmed out major players for men's first team experience).
Having a home game against Northampton with something to prove on it, I'd take that above being drawn away against another Non-League side. Northampton are a known entity, we've played against Northampton, we're watched Northampton and we've got the added incentive of putting the wrong that we suffered last year right.
But we've got to beat Rocester first!
