Academy coach hopes Shrimps youngsters can kick on after FA Youth Cup win

The Globe Arena under 18s have endured a difficult time in the Football League Youth Alliance and sit bottom of the North West Division with just one win to their names.

But Wainwright, who runs the side with head of youth Stewart Drummond, hopes the 2-1 win at North Ferriby United on Tuesday night in the first round of the FA Youth Cup will prove to be a turning point.

Wainwright said: “It’s the biggest thing for the lads.

“From our point of view it’s about developing the lads for the first team, that’s our end game.

“But for some of those lads that will be the biggest game they ever play.

“They will be up for it more than most.

“We’ve got to transfer that to the league games and make sure they’re as up for those as they are for the youth cup.”

Morgan Homson-Smith scored both goals on the night with his second coming with time almost up to set up a second round tie at Oldham Athletic after the Latics overcame Chester City in extra-time.

Wainwright said: “It was always going to be a difficult game but on the whole the lads delt with it well.

“They like to make it hard for us but it could have been five or six by half-time.

“We missed a lot of guilt-edged chances and went in 1-0 up.

“There was a lot to build on but the game should have been out of sight.

“They had a decent spell in the second half and round about the hour mark they equalised.

“Our lads haven’t won many games of late so it got a little bit nervy, a little bit jittery but in the end they came through and thankfully got the late winner.”

Morecambe v North Ferriby: Povey, Masters, Williams, Webb, Taylor, Livingstone, Mawson, Cowley, Homson-Smith, Hedley, Jordan. Subs: Tomlinson, Box, Townsend, Jenkinson, Dawson.

*Morecambe’s Academy side next travel to Blackpool on Saturday.

The second round FA Youth Cup tie is set to be played in the week commencing November 21.