Youth team get Preston in cup

Last updated : 18 November 2003 By Tony Scholes

Michael Hale - on the subs bench
The match has been scheduled for Wednesday 3rd December at the Turf and will kick off at 7:00 p.m. To facilitate this the reserve team game at Huddersfield due to be played that afternoon has been put back five weeks and will now be played at the McAlpine Stadium on Wednesday 7th January 2004 with a 2:00 p.m. kick off.

It is three years since the Clarets won a tie in either the FA Youth Cup or the Lancashire Youth Cup and that came on 13th November 2000 with a 1-0 home win against Rochdale with the goal scored by Paul Barrett. That was also the last goal we had scored in either before Danny Pitham found the net from the spot at Bramall Lane last night.

Last night at least saw us able to field close to a team of scholars with James Quinn the only outfield player in the starting line up from the Centre of Excellence alongside goalkeeper Mark Crossley with Michael Hale somewhat strangely left out and on the bench.

But it will be tough against Preston who are usually strong at this level and their Under 19 team is currently in 2nd place in the Youth Alliance League behind Wigan Athletic.

The Clarets are in seventh place in the ten team division but would have slipped to next to bottom but for the point earned in the 1-1 draw at Rochdale on Saturday. A Rhys Carpenter goal gave us the point and we lined up:

Mark Crossley, Ross Preston, Gary Carter, Ryan Townsend, Danny Pitham, James Heywood, Darrel Avery, Joe Booth, James Quinn, Rhys Carpenter, Alex Taylor. Subs: Cayne Hanley, Michael West, Dennis Greenwood, Michael Hale.

Just click below to see the fixtures, results and league tables for the reserve and youth teams (all can be found in our Reserves/Youth Stats section).

Reserves Fixtures/Results
League Table

Youths Fixtures/Results
League Table