Academy coach Andy Fensome expects a tough game against Coventry City in the FA Youth Cup, but he’s focused on his players going out and showcasing their abilities.
The U18s will take to the Deepdale stage on Wednesday evening for a third round tie which promises to be an exciting encounter.
At the same stage of the competition last season, North End couldn’t have done much more, coming out 6-1 winners against Rotherham United to set up a trip to Gillingham.
That was the start of a superb run which saw them reach the quarter-finals where they put in a positive display against Southampton, and some of the lads involved in that winning streak – Kian Best and Kian Taylor, to name a couple – are now up with the first team.
“It’s a bit of a showcase for the players,” Fenners said. “A lot of them were with us last year and some of the U16s who were with us last year are now first-year scholars.
“They saw the run we had and it’s a chance for them to play at Deepdale under the lights, so it’s a fantastic opportunity.
“If you win it’s another game. We’ve always said that. It is just an opportunity to play at Deepdale and they’ve seen one or two of the lads from last year’s squad venture into the first team squad so they see where it could possibly take them.”
Coventry City are a Category 2 Academy who play in the Professional Development League, and the Sky Blues currently sit fifth in the standings.
For North End, they sit top of the Youth Alliance League with 30 points from 12 matches, and the young Lilywhites are comfortably the division’s top scorers, averaging more than 3.5 goals a game.
Not only is this a great opportunity for the team to take that form into cup competition and to Deepdale, but they’re also likely to be playing in front of first team management.
Fenners said: “It's nice that the first team and some of the players come and support the lads.
“Some of the lads played with us last year will be there to support because they know what they’re like. They want to see us do well.
“Does it add a bit of pressure to the players? Of course it does. Just the same as playing at Deepdale under the lights, but we know it’s a tough game.
“We’ve got to play at our best to get a good result and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.
“We’ve done our homework. They’re a big physical side. They like to pass the ball around a lot and they try to emulate the first team, so the lads know it’s a really tough game.”