Youth team set for cup action

Last updated : 26 January 2007 By Tony Scholes

Alex McDonald - scored the goals that clinched the LFA Youth Cup last season

It all starts tomorrow when we begin our defence of the Lancashire FA Youth Cup, which we won last May following a superb night at Blackpool when, against all the odds, we clinched a 4-2 extra time victory with two goals from Alex McDonald.

Our defence starts against Bury, the side who two days before that final we'd beaten in the semi-final with two late goals. The game, to be played tomorrow morning at Gawthorpe will be a good build up for our FA Youth Cup 5^th round tie against Swindon next Wednesday at the County Ground where we'll be hoping to get into the last eight for the first time in over a quarter of a century.

It will be a tough game, Swindon are doing well in their league, just as Bury are in our Youth Alliance League, but we got a massive boost today with the news that should we get through then we'll be facing either Newcastle United or Millwall at home in that 6^th round.

Should we win through against Swindon then we'll have three more days to wait to find out who our opponents will be, Newcastle and Millwall meet at St James' Park a week on Saturday.

The full 6^th round draw is:

Swindon or Burnley v Newcastle or Millwall
Arsenal or Bristol City v Cardiff or Sunderland
Manchester United or Crystal Palace v Barnsley or Birmingham
Sheffield United or Middlesbrough v Liverpool or Reading