The FA Youth Cup
Fourth Round
19 January 2005

2

Yeovil Town

v

Everton 

10

West Ham United

v

Blackburn Rovers

13

Southampton

v

Norwich City

 

14

Liverpool

v

Tottenham Hotspur

 


Several of The FA Youth Cup’s big guns are in Fourth Round action tonight. West Ham United and Blackburn Rovers, who have both featured in recent Finals, meet at Upton Park and Hammers Academy Director Tony Carr anticipates a hard-fought tie.

He says on the club’s website: "It’s going to be a very tough Cup-tie. Blackburn are a strong side, they’re flying in their Under-18 league just now and they’ll make it very difficult for us. But we’re at home, playing on a big stage at Upton Park, and on the night you never know what will happen".

Carr has no fresh injuries worries ahead of tonight’s clash. Moses Ashikodi, the former Millwall striker who played for England’s Under-17s in last season’s Pepsi Tournament, has recovered from illness and so has defender Liam White. It is always special when The FA Youth Cup brings Under-18 matches to the Boleyn Ground and Carr is expecting his young charges to rise to the occasion.

"Some of the boys will have played there before", he said. "For one or two it will be their first time but I don’t think that will cause a problem. The more experienced players in the side will, of course, help the younger ones. But everyone is really up for the game and I don’t expect anyone to freeze when it comes to kick-off".

A Hammers victory tonight will earn them an intriguing home tie against local rivals Leyton Orient, convincing winners over Bristol City last night, in the Fifth Round.

Two other clubs with great records in The FA Youth Cup go head to head at world-famous Anfield tonight. Liverpool, who won it with Michael Owen nine years ago, are now coached by John Owens and had a comfortable 6-0 win against Wealdstone in the last round just before Christmas. But they are sure to face a tougher test against Tottenham as they look to set up a potential Merseyside derby date with Everton, the latter playing their Fourth Round tie at Yeovil tonight.

"The result in the last round has obviously boosted the confidence", Owens told Liverpool’s website, "particularly the strikers who hadn’t been hitting the net too much - the likes of Conal Platt and Karl Noon. It was quite pleasing and we would want to repeat that".

Owens insists that his side are solely focused on Spurs. The idea of a fixture with Everton simply isn’t on their minds.

In tonight’s other Fourth Round match Southampton play Norwich City for the right to host Arsenal in the Fifth Round . The scheduled tie between Manchester City and Brighton has been switched to 26 January.