The Seasiders youth team headed to South Wales on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Wednesday night's clash with Cardiff City in the third round of the FA Youth Cup sponsored by Eon. Gary Parkinson is able to call on highly rated 'keeper Mark Halstead, the second year scholar has spent the last couple of weeks with the first team following Matt Gilks loan move to Shrewsbury.

The game which kicks off at 7pm will take place at Cardiff's Ninian Park and Pool boss Simon Grayson said it will be a great experience for the youngsters, "It will be an experience that I am sure they will enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives, for some of them it might be the only chance they get to play at a League ground, Cardiff is great set up with an excellent academy, but I am sure Parky will have them organised and up for the game. We have done things the right way and the team have travelled down the night before on the first team coach and it will give them a taste of what happens with the pros and first team, hopefully that will give them appetite to kick on and try and impress and earn a professional contract."

Pool will line up as follows for tonight's game: Halstead, Breakell, Rooney, Fishwick, Eastham, D'Arcy, McKenna, Ralston, Hobbs, Almond, Foster Subs: Newsham, Bradley, Dodd, McDonald, Forshaw.