Take a look into the future when Horndean and Baffins Milton Rovers do battle in Portsmouth Senior Cup
Michael Birmingham will stay true to his word and hand Horndean's exciting young crop a chance on the senior stage in tomorrow's Portsmouth Senior Cup meeting with Baffins Milton Rovers at Five Heads Park.
The Deans boss will once again field the club's under-18 side in the first round tie, with youth team manager Jason Harris taking charge for the evening.
Birmingham will be in the dugout for the fixture but plans to use it as an opportunity to cast his eye over some of the crop of youngsters bidding to break into his first-team set-up.
Although both line-ups are likely to have a virtually completely different look with Rovers boss Shaun Wilkinson also planning on using some of his under-18s players and offering the chance of minutes for those on the fringes of his squad.
Horndean boss Birmingham said: ‘That’s what I’m doing (fielding under-18s squad). I don’t know what Shaun (Wilkinson) or Baffins are doing.
‘It’s a great opportunity. Baffins have got a great squad - I don’t know what sort of squad he’s (Shaun Wilkinson) sending - whatever it will be a good side and the under-18s have got a very tough game again.
‘Jason and Neil (Perkins) will be doing it, I’ll be in the dugout, it’s a first-team fixture, they’ll be treated the same as the first-team, all my staff will be there for the warm-up etc. But Jason and Neil will be taking it - I’ll be in the dugout because I want to watch certain players and when you’re on the sideline barking orders you often miss things.’
Wilkinson revealed he will also offer minutes to as many of his teenage prospects as possible.
In last week's 2-1 League Cup victory over Romsey Town, Baffins ended the game with four 16-year-olds on the pitch, with young gun Owen Pelham netting the winner.
And Wilkinson is looking to hand run-outs to a number of the club's exciting under-18s crop. He said: ‘The lads who need game time will obviously get a game then I want to give some youngsters some starts.
‘I want to see how the under-18s come out of their game (yesterday) and I want to use it as a game to get the youngsters some more minutes. I think Birmy (Michael Birmingham) is going to do the same so it’s one of those cup games where you can give fringe players who haven’t had game time and give some of the youngsters a go.’