Carr Pleased With Cup Preparations

ACADEMY Director Tony Carr has been pleased with his team's preparations ahead of West Ham United's FA Youth Cup Third Round tie against Luton Town at Upton Park this evening, kick-off 7.00pm.

Tony said: "Training has gone very well and it helped us to have a weekend's break prior to the game. It is always a big night, regardless of whether you are at home or away, and we're really looking forward to it.

"We are certainly not going to underestimate Luton. The object of the exercise is to progress through to the next round and that's all we'll be concentrating on this evening."

Tony's team faced a similar experience in the Third Round of last season's competition, coming up against a side who are not in the Academy system. And he is hoping the experience at Gillingham will help his side this time around.

"I certainly hope the experiences of Gillingham will help us," he admitted. "Whether we took them too lightly last season I don't know, but they gave us a game to remember and if it wasn't for Mark Noble, who was brilliant on the night, we might not have stayed in the competition.

"I'd like to think tonight's game ight be a bit easier, but knowing Luton it will be a big game for them to come to Upton Park and play West Ham United. I'm sure they'll be really up for it and will give everything they have got to try and knock us out.

"I went to watch them play Brentford in the League on Saturday, although I'm not sure whether that team will bare much resemblance to the one that will face us.

"It did give me a good feel for the way they play and how they perform, although the conditions were not very good.

"Youth Cup nights are always that bit more special and you can never predict what is going to happen. That's why you can not read too much into their performance on Saturday, because I think tonight it will be a different matter altogether.

"It's going to be a tough match for us, but all the boys are really looking forward to it."