Cambridge exam for Crewe

Crewe's academy manager Steve Holland is determined to avoid being the latest giant-killing victims in The FA Youth Cup when his highly-rated side travel to Cambridge United on Thursday night.

This season's competition has seen a number of upsets already, with Manchester City, last year's runners up, crashing out to Millwall in the last round and Spurs being knocked out by Chester City this week.

Holland admits his side are facing a tough test against a Cambridge side that have won all four of their home ties in the competition already this season, including a win over Tranmere Rovers in the last round.

He said: "I went to watch them play Tranmere in the last round and they fully deserved their win. We may be an Academy whilst Cambridge are a non-League side, but then people said that, with all their huge resources, Manchester United should have beaten Southend in the Carling Cup this season and look what happened there.

"Football in general is very unpredictable, but youth football is even more so and as such we will prepare for the game properly.

"It's not like the regular Academy games we play week in and week out, which we see as development games. These games are quite different and we do some preparation on our opponents. It's the nearest thing the players have to proper first-team football and the more games we can play in the competition the better for the boys.

"But I am not judged on the results we achieve in The Youth Cup. Dario Gradi doesn't want an FA Youth Cup in his trophy cabinet but no players coming through the Academy that are of any use to his first team. But having said that, the Under-18s are the top tier team of the Academy so it's nice for them to do well."

Awaiting the winners will be Cardiff City who thumped Merthyr Tydfil 6-0.