Coach Ryan Esson is backing his Caley Thistle under-18s to rise to the challenge in the Scottish Youth Cup against dangerous visitors Auchinleck Talbot tonight.
Fans can get in for free to the Caledonian Stadium this evening as the ICT youngsters will play in the quarter-finals of the national competition against the talented teens from Ayrshire.
Duncan Proudfoot’s goal in a 1-0 last-16 win at Morton in November, which came on the back of an impressive 2-0 home victory against Kilmarnock, earned ICT this crack at reaching the semis.
Auchinleck’s first-team reached the fourth round of the senior Scottish Cup, losing out to Hearts at the weekend. Now their young guns are eyeing further progression and have been scoring plenty of goals so far.
They began with a 4-2 derby win away to Ayr United, enjoyed a 6-1 rout away to Huntly, then hit four without reply at home to Deveronvale.
Tie will highlight scale of progression
Scottish Cup-winning keeper Esson, who is also a key part of Billy Dodds’ Inverness first-team coaching squad, has been impressed by the players’ ability to rise to new challenges and he has faith the can also embrace the test of this tie.
🗣️ Lewis Nicolson gives his thoughts ahead of tomorrow night's Scottish Youth Cup Quarter Final against Auchinleck Talbot U18s
The Match Info for tomorrow's Quarter Final can be found here 👉 https://t.co/Jl8PSzZu0I pic.twitter.com/tsPGYJfZmO
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) January 27, 2022
He said: “This is a big chance for boys to show they can handle the occasion. This will show me how much they have developed, now they have reached the tail-end of a cup competition.
“The stakes are getting higher, but I have no fear about them. Whatever I have thrown at them, they have handled. Last week against St Johnstone, I challenged them with something new and they accepted it and implemented it superbly.
“This is the next step and challenge for them and I want them to embrace that. I want them to enjoy the match and do what they do best. The game will take care of itself.
🏆🔴🔵 The ICT Under 18s have a massive Scottish Youth Cup Quarter Final against Auchinleck Talbot U18s this Friday at the Caledonian Stadium, 7:30pm kick-off
Entry is FREE via Gate Four, with seating available in the Main Stand.
Info 👉https://t.co/Jl8PSzHSC8 pic.twitter.com/NKURvBpHMK
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) January 24, 2022
“We have some new faces added to the group, with 16s coming up and a couple of those players might be in the squad. We will wait and see.
“It would be great to get fans along on Friday and get a bit of atmosphere for the boys. Hopefully that will spur them on.”
Auchinleck here on merit – Esson
Esson has seen enough in his preparation to know Auchinleck will be tricky opponents for his side.
He said: “They beat Ayr – who are in our league – 4-2 and they came through a tough tie against Huntly. I watched their game against Deveronvale and they were very comfortable.
“They had a 9-2 win at the weekend and we won’t underestimate them one little bit. They’re a strong side and in the quarter-finals on merit.
“It’s another good learning curve for the boys. It’s a cup competition and you have to be focused and treat it as you would any other game.
“We will focus both on combating what Auchinleck can do, as well as what we can do to try and win the game.
🗣️ Ethan Cairns gives his thoughts ahead of Friday's Scottish Youth Cup Quarter Final against Auchinleck Talbot U18s
🏆 Entry is FREE via Gate Four at the Caledonian Stadium, with seating available in the Main Stand.
Match Info👉 https://t.co/Jl8PSzZu0I pic.twitter.com/Z1E0IaWCH1
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) January 25, 2022
Esson was thrilled by how the team handled Morton away in the last round of the cup.
He added: “It was a great result on a horrible night with the windy weather. The way they went about their work was excellent. I see them do this week in, week out, so I was delighted.”
Kick-off at the Caledonian Stadium is at 7.30pm and fans should enter through gate four and will be seated in the main stand.
The other last-eight ties taking place tonight are – Dundee United v Hearts, Rangers v Aberdeen and Hibernian v Celtic.
