Kick-off time and how to watch

Good Friday’s game against AFC Fylde starts at 12:30pm UK time. It is available to watch on the 5th Stand app, the website and our YouTube channel, with coverage starting shortly before kick-off. A full match report will be on the website following the final whistle.

In the last round

Barnsley visited Kingsmeadow back in November for the third-round tie. We put eight past our opponents that day, matching our joint-biggest competition win. Jude Soonsup-Bell added to a first-half hat-trick with a fourth after the interval. Tino Livramento, Ben Elliott, Harvey Vale and Lewis Bate were our other goal scorers as the young Blues ran riot in Kingston.

Fylde’s journey

The Coasters have beaten Morecambe, Sunderland and Cambridge to get to this point. Their win against the latter was two weeks ago. They came from behind to take the lead in the second half but Cambridge levelled soon after. The tie looked to be heading to extra time until a last-minute winner from Theo Ball earned his side a place in the next round.

Morecambe 1-4 AFC FyldeAFC Fylde 3-1 SunderlandCambridge 2-3 AFC Fylde

From the dressing room

At the moment of last year’s competition break due to the coronavirus outbreak, Chelsea had reached the semi-final and Livramento admits he feared the worst when hearing of this season’s temporary suspension.

‘Not knowing if we were going to play was frustrating and worrying, because it [temporary suspension] happened at such an early stage I wasn’t sure it was going to go ahead at all,’ he said.

‘Youth Cup is always the competition to look forward to as Under-18s, especially with the UEFA Youth League being cancelled, we were left without any knockout football. It was always the one we want to make sure we compete in, and when we heard the games were restarting we were all buzzing because we’ve got a really good opportunity.

‘This age group has been together for many years, when we all come back as one group for the Youth Cup we gel instantly. In training everyone is happy and together, I’m really excited to get out on the pitch playing as a team.’

In an almost perfect third-round showing, Chelsea cruised through the game scoring eight goals. However Livramento insists there are always areas to improve on and although happy to get in on the scoring act, he prefers assisting his team-mates.

‘Barnsley was a good game, but like in every game there are always areas to improve on,’ he said. ‘Preparing for AFC Fylde we have been looking back at our games to pick out those areas in which we can do better. If we can replicate some of the good bits of the performance against Barnsley and tighten up, hopefully we will get a similar result.

‘It’s always nice to score and help out the team. If I am put in those positions it’s important to be clinical, especially when we need to keep our heads cool in front of goal. I’m more of a person who likes to set someone else up to score though, and enjoy doing that also.’

Fylde have been on a journey themselves and although it’s been mainly joyful times, they experienced a loss within their camp last month when 17-year-old player Luke Bennet passed away - a sad loss and Livramento pays tribute.

‘They will arrive here with no fear and we’ve got to expect that as they are worthy opponents. We have got to show respect to them as a team and respect to them as human beings after losing one of their own and dedicating their wins so far to their team mate Luke. There is always time for that in football.’