Young guns aim to banish blues

The City youngsters were just minutes from booking their place in the fourth round of the prestigious competition at Bootham Crescent last week only for Huddersfield to grab a fortunate equaliser.

But according to assistant youth coach Brian Neaves, the disappointment of that night had simply given the Minstermen young guns an added incentive to finish the job second-time around.

And despite Huddersfield, who play in the FA Academy Premier League against the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Leeds, now enjoying home advantage Neaves insisted last week's performance had shown the youngsters they have nothing to fear.

"We are very much looking forward to it and the boys have done very well in training this week," Neaves told the Evening Press.

"We are quietly confident that if we play to our potential we are good enough to win the tie.

"We proved that in the first-half last week."

A Kieran Darlow solo-strike had given City a deserved 1-0 half-time lead and the youngsters looked certain to hold out under stiff second-half pressure from the Terriers, who also missed a penalty, before Danny Clapham equalised in the dying embers.

Neaves admitted he thought City were just about home and dry before Clapham struck.

"I thought we had weathered the storm. We lived dangerously for about 20 minutes but we got through that and the game had levelled itself out," he recalled.

Neaves and Paul Stancliffe, City's head of youth development, are sweating on the fitness of Ben Rhodes and Adam Russell.

* Leeds United's Youth Cup fourth round tie against Southampton will be played at Elland Road on Tuesday, January 16 (7pm).

Only the West Stand paddock will be open and prices are £3 for adults and £1 for juveniles aged 16 or under and senior citizens.

Should a replay be needed it will be played at The Dell on Wednesday, January 24 (7pm). United reached the fourth round stage with an away victory against Millwall.