Town have named a very young U23s side featuring a number of trialists and former defender Chris Casement for this afternoon’s game against Coventry City at Playford Road (KO 1pm) with many of the regulars in the squad set to play for the first team at Crawley this evening in the Papa John’s Trophy.
The team lining up against the Sky Blues includes Bailey Clements and Kai Brown, who are on loan at Dagenham & Redbridge but able to feature for the U23s, and a number of U18s in addition to four trialists in the squad.
Once-capped Northern Irish international Casement, 32, who came through the academy and was in the 2005 FA Youth Cup-winning side before making seven senior starts and seven sub appearances for the first team, is currently doing some coaching back at Playford Road having recently signed for Stowmarket Town.
Tommy Smith, Dylan Crowe, Elkan Baggott, Corrie Ndaba, Liam Gibbs, Allan Viral, Ross Crane, Zak Brown, Zanda Siziba and Tyreece Simpson, who were all in the 18 for the Gillingham Papa John’s Trophy tie last month, all appear to have made the trip to Sussex for this evening’s match.
Forward Armando Dobra is unavailable as he has travelled to join up with the Albania U21s squad.
Town's U23s, who are now coached by Kieron Dyer with Terry Butcher, are currently second in Professional Development League Two South and will go top if they win today with current leaders Bristol City not in action until tomorrow when they host Sheffield Wednesday.
U23s: White, Casement, Clements, Trialist, Kabongolo, Trialist, Humphreys, Alexander, Oppong, Trialist, K Brown. Subs: Ridd, Cutbush, Trialist, Hughes.