The golden boot of James Beattie could be a key factor as Blackburn Rovers launch their latest FA Youth Cup campaign against Shefield Wednesday at Ewood tomorrow.

Beattie, still only 17, has proved himself a prolific goalscorer with both A and B teams during his apprenticeship at Ewood so far.

And with goals now starting to come regularly at reserve team level too, little wonder that Rovers will pin their hopes on the young striker to shoot down the fledgling Owls tomorrow

It has been some time since the club made an impact on this particular competition and they might still be a year or two away from fielding a side strong enough to make a genuine challenge.

But there is plenty of optimism that the present crop can give a good account of themselves - providing they don't freeze on the big occasion.

"That is the danger, as we have seen in the past," said youth development boss Jim Furnell.

"We are hoping for a good crowd tomorrow and the chance to play on the big stage at Ewood, in front of a good crowd, can sometimes affect the youngsters. But with no Premiership games this weekend, it would be great to see a lot of fans come along and give them as much encouragement as possible. "We believe we have some very talented young players at the club, with a lot of potential, and my only hope is that they do themselves justice."

Despite their lack of big-stage experience at club level, Rovers have a number of players with international games in various age groups behind them.

They include Welsh goalkeeper Anthony Williams, England defender Marlon Broomes and rising Scottish star Keith Brown who, at the tender age of 15, will be eligible for the youth team for three years!

It's a golden opportunity for the fans to see for themselves how Rovers are trying to build strong foundations for the future.

The emphasis is placed on skill and passing and tomorrow's first round tie promises to be a Roses clash well worth watching.

Kick-off tomorrow is 2-30pm and the Darwen End will be open. Admission for everyone is by cash at the turnstiles (adults £3, juniors/oaps £1) and the gates are due to open at 1pm.

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