Oliver Lancashire hopes to erase the memory of losing to Liverpool on penalties in last season's FA Youth Cup when Saints play Stockport County at Edgeley Park tonight.

The centre back from Hook captains Saints U18s in the club's first FA Youth Cup tie since the agonising semi-final defeat against the eventual winners back in March.

Lancashire is one of only three survivors from the side that lost 5-4 on penalties to Liverpool at St Mary's after the two-legged classic had finished 4-4 on aggregate.

Utility player Jake Thomson, an England youth international from Portsmouth, and Portugese forward Totti are the only other survivors from last season's team, which included Gareth Bale.

Lancashire said: "I'm one of only three second years. We've got a lot of schoolboys in the side which makes us a lot younger than last year's side but we've still got quite a strong team and have got several good players.

"Getting so close last year only to lose on pens was hard to take but hopefully we can have another good run."

Saints have an impressive recent record in the Youth Cup, having been runners up to Ipswich during the Theo Walcott-inspired 2004-05 season.

But the likes of David McGoldrick, Adam Lallana, Lloyd James and Nathan Dyer are all too old to compete now that they are U19s.

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