Gillingham host Stevenage in the third round of the FA Youth Cup with the winner playing away to Bolton Wanderers in round four

Bolton Wanderers await the winners of the FA Youth Cup match between Gillingham and Stevenage tonight.

The Gills are at home in the FA Youth Cup third round against a Stevenage side who haven’t been beaten in the Youth Alliance South league this season.

Stevenage are second in the table but their league rivals Gillingham will hope home advantage counts at Priestfield tonight.

First-team boss Gareth Ainsworth has included a handful of the under-18s in his matchday squads this season, including a senior debut for the youth captain Cruz Beszant.

Louie Dayal was on the bench for the League 2 match against Colchester United recently, and both he and Beszant featured in all three EFL Trophy matches for the Gills this season.

Ainsworth likes the look of winger Sullivan Booth and is keen to keep a close eye on Joe Dunne’s under-18s.

He’ll be among those watching from the stands for the midweek cup clash.

He said: “I am still getting used to the names but there is a young boy with a long throw in there and I am keeping my eye on him!

“There is a real good connection between the under-18 coach Joe Dunne, Bryan (Bull, the academy manager), Patto (Mark Patterson, head of coaching development). We are all close, we all talk, and on in their in the youth cup next round, I’m there, I want to be there.

“Wednesday is historically our day off but there is no way I am going to miss that. I want the boys to know that I am coming in and want to see them.”

Ainsworth has made youth academy graduate Sam Gale a mainstay in his League 2 team’s defence and hopes he can show the way forward for other young hopefuls.

He said: “Galey should be a shining example to some of these young boys about exactly what you can achieve.

“He’s been brilliant this