ST MIRREN youth chief David Longwell has urged the club's support to get behind their colts as they try to make it third-time lucky in their bid to make the Scottish Youth Cup final.

The young Saints will line up against Rangers tomorrow in a 2pm kick-off at St Mirren Park in what is their third consecutive semi-final appearance in the competition.

The achievement has been made all the more remarkable by the fact that St Mirren gaffer Danny Lennon regularly fields three players in his first team who are still eligible for the club's fledglings.

Kenny McLean, Marc McAusland and John McGinn are regular top team starters who have all progressed from Longwell's Youth Academy base at Ralston and saved St Mirren a small fortune.

As he looked forward to the meeting with the Murray Park kids, the Saints' youth chief had no doubts that a big turn out from the Paisley faithful could help his kids make their final breakthrough.

Longwell said: "We have been tremendously consistent in the Scottish Youth Cup with this being our third semi-final on the trot, and also our fourth in the last five years, and this time we would really love to make the final.

"The fact that we have the game at St Mirren Park will give us an advantage but only if we get a decent turnout from the support.

"Hopefully, they have seen with the likes of Kenny McLean, John McGinn and Marc McAusland and now Jason Naismith and Sean Kelly progressing into the first team and that we are doing a decent job in developing our talent.

"So if they want the chance to come along and get an early peek at the next set of young players who are on their way through then this would be the ideal opportunity."

The young Saints have had a tough run through to the last four having beaten Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers and a St Johnstone side who had previously knocked out Celtic.

Longwell's lads have already played this week after drawing 1-1 with Partick Thistle in a SPFL Under-20 League fixture at the Excelsior Stadium.

Proof of just how much the club have come to rely on their youth academy is provided by the statistic that over 500 St Mirren first-team appearances have been made by former youth academy players.

When it comes to kids who are likely to follow on an well trodden path to the first team, Longwell admitted he has high hopes for Mark Williams.

"I think our captain has a big future in front of him" he said. "Mark is a very versatile defender who can play at centre-back or right back and is a natural leader.

"Thomas Reilly is another one of our lads who has been unlucky with injury, but will still come through again to the first team, I am sure."

A modest and self-effacing coach, Longwell is not one to try and attract media spotlight but his work deserves enormous credit.

Right now, excepting a Hearts side whose devotion to youth has been borne of financial necessity, there is no other top flight Scottish outfit who regularly play five home grown players as starters week-in, week-out.

The fact that the Paisley pups are all well schooled footballers, comfortable on the ball and fluent in a number of tactical systems is further testament to Longwell and his youth coaching cohorts.

He went on: "Big games like today's semi are vital in developing the kids mentally for the future. If we can get a big turnout from the St Mirren support it could make all the difference."

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