On form U's to face promising Brighton & Hove U-21

The U's go into this Vertu Trophy game with a win against Chester in the FA Cup. As we wait for league action, the players will have their focus on a very promising Brighton & Hove U-21 side with bags of potential. The U's sit 3rd and 2 points away from progressing into the next round. A win gets the U's through but anything else will see the U's out of the competition. Despite it being a rather insignificant cup, getting good minutes into the young players and those who aren't starting week in week out is vital for a team that has a history with injuries. Players need to be ready to come on and start and the only way to do that is by playing them.

The U's played a rotated side against Chester and I'd expect the same outcome in this fixture. A lot of young players and those who are regularly on the bench. That being said we can't underestimate the opposition as Brighton & Hove U-21s have a handful of great young players that will gladly punish United if given even a half chance.

Our player to watch is Shane Nti. The attacking midfielder has been on top form in the Premier League 2 with 4 goals and 3 assists, helping his side sit 10th in the division. Despite his rather underwhelming 2 games in this competition, Shane will be desperate to make an impression on the men's game.

Another Brighton & Hove U-21 player to watch is right winger Nehemriah Oriola. The decisive, elusive and confident winger will look to punish whoever his fullback is and make his name one to remember. The 18 year old made his mark in the Barnet game with an assist and will look to add to that fantastic performance. An assist on the weekend against Leeds helped his side claim a 2-2 draw, just showing he is in fine form.

We predict a 2-1 win with goals from Kachunga and Knight before a late consolation from Nti.