Brentford U21s are eyeing up qualification to the knock-out stages of the Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy
Paul Warne insists MK Dons will not be taking Brentford U21s lightly tonight when the sides face in the Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy at Stadium MK.
The young Bees beat Bromley 1-0 in the opening game of the competition at Hayes Lane - a rare win for a visiting side in that part of south-east London.
Dons meanwhile were 4-1 winners against Crawley Town in their opening group game, meaning a win for either side will likely see them qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition.
It has been two weeks since that game, which also happens to be Dons’ last competitive match after the international break forced games against Bromley and Barnsley into postponement.
Likely to field a side with a mix of first-team, second-string and youth team elements, Warne said he is expecting a tough test against the young Brentford squad who themselves will be eager to book their spot in the next stage.
“Brentford are a good side,” he said. “They went to Bromley and won, and we know that’s a difficult task to do. Not many clubs, if any, achieved that last season. We can’t underestimate them, we know it’s a competitive game and we’re looking forward to it.
“No doubt Brentford have trained really well, they’ll want to win and will want to make life as hard for us as possible, and it’s the same for us. I’m looking forward to seeing a 90 minute performance.”
Unlike watching the senior sides, Warne admitted taking on U21s teams offers up a new range of challenges when it comes to preparations in the lead-up to games, saying: “There isn’t as much footage, and a lot of it is against other U21s teams.
“As U21s teams go, (Brentford) are quite a mature team, they have a couple of names in there people will know. It’s more difficult (to scout) but it might be the same for them too because not many will know our team.
“We’ve got 20 pros and about 18 U21s to pick from so when the team-sheets go in it might be shocking to everyone!”