McCormack calls on Luton fans to be the 12th man in U18s FA Youth Cup tie with R's

Luton Town U18s head coach Alan McCormack has called on the Hatters fans to be the 12th man at Kenilworth Road this evening when the club’s next generation entertain QPR in the FA Youth Cup fourth round this evening.

It is the first time the youth team has reached this stage of the competition since 2016, when future England international and now Premier League player at Leicester City, James Justin, was a second-year scholar in the side that reached the quarter-finals, eventually beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers.

McCormack, who was a former Town player himself, making 39 appearances to help the club win back-to-back promotions from League Two and League One, is hoping that supporters snapped up their online tickets ahead of the clash, said: “These boys are desperate to become professional footballers.

“They are desperate to make a living in the game and they are desperate to win leagues, get promotions, play for their country, go and play in the Premier League.

“The backing and support that people bring them – they get their parents and family every week, they get the staff at the club – but to now have a fan base there, cheering them on.

"How many times do you say they’re the 12th man in the game?

“If we can get as many people as we can to push the players through some what will no doubt be tough moments in the game, to have that 12th man will be massive.

"These boys will certainly benefit hugely from that and it’ll be a great atmosphere for them to play in.”

“A lot of the boys have watched the Under-21s play there this season and a few of them happened to be involved in it, so I think that with the last game being at Birmingham’s stadium has helped ease the little bit of nerves they might have playing at a stadium in front of a crowd.

“I know for a lot of these boys – and a lot of them are Luton fans who have gone to watch the team at Kenilworth Road – for them now to get to play on the grass is going to be special for them and their families.

“I just hope that the work that we’ve put in over the last few days leading up to tomorrow, but also the last few weeks, months and certainly this season, has paid off, because they’ve been excellent.

"The whole group has taken on board what we have tried to do, how we want to play with the style and structure, and in some games I think we’ve been magnificent, and we want to carry that into Wednesday.

"We want to do everything that we’ve done, but even better on Wednesday.”

Fellow coach Alex Lawless, who also turned out for the Hatters numerous times at the famous stadium, making 203 appearances in total, is hoping the current crop relish the experience as he did.

He told the club’s match-day programme recently: “I always remember the support I used to get as a player, and I hope the boys get to experience something like that at Kenilworth Road.

"It would be great to see as many fans there as possible to support the team and hopefully we will get another brilliant result.

“I was somewhat unsurprised by the performance (against Birmingham) and the result.

"What the players have been doing this year, how all the staff work with the players to prepare.

“I was really pleased for the players who were involved.

"I was also really pleased for Alan because I know how much he puts into it and Paul Benson and Paul Hart as well.

"We had high hopes anyway for the group and now we have the opportunity to impress and progress again, which we are more than capable of.

"It’ll be a tough game but an enjoyable one as well.”

Luton warmed up for the match by securing their 15th win from 16 matches in the EFL Youth Alliance South-East Division, beating AFC Wimbledon 3-0 on Saturday with goals from Rio Martucci, Darcy Moffat and Jack Bateson.

They now just need one win from their last four games to seal the title.