Met Police’s youth team are a dab hand at penalties and skipper Dudley Pearn would not back against them if it came to a straight shoot-out with Championship club Burnley for a place in the FA Youth Cup fourth round.
The Ryman Youth League youngsters came through sudden-death spot-kicks to edge past League Two Yeovil Town in the last round having done the same in the first round against Dulwich Hamlet.
Holding midfielder Pearn, who moved to the club from Guildford Saints two seasons ago, insists his team-mates are not heading to Turf Moor on Monday night in the hope of simply holding the former Premier League Clarets to a draw over 120 minutes.
And the 18-year-old reckons the underdog tag could inspire them to new heights having become the first Blues team – at any level – to beat Football League opposition.
Captain marvel: Met Police's Dudley Pearn is confident of getting a good result at Turf Moor on Monday
“I’m over the moon to have got this far. The whole squad is buzzing for it,” said the captain.
“The last round was amazing, but this is what it is all about. Whatever happens it will be a great experience and one we can tell our friends about for the rest of our lives.
“We were massive underdogs in the last round too, which at our level we are not used to. It could play into our hands.
“We would not be making trip if we didn’t think we had a chance of winning.
“It is the cup and anything can happen on the night.
“We have got no particular stand out players, but we are a good all-round team and someone is always good enough to step up when they are needed.
“When it comes to penalties, it is a case of putting the nerves to one side and finding the net.
“We have been good at that so far, but we have also created enough chances to win the other games in the 90 minutes, so hopefully it will not get that far.”
Pearn’s team, managed by ex-Met Police goalkeeper Stuart Searle, left, are the first Blues youth team to reach the third round of the FA Youth Cup in the club’s history.
The team will travel north on Sunday to be fresh for Monday night’s big kick-off and they will be supported by first team boss Jimmy Cooper and a host of friends and family.
The run has already put a number of the players in the shop window, with the Blues pinning many of them down to contracts in recent weeks following the departure of Tane Caubo to League Two Barnet.
Signed up: Ethan Chislett is one of a number of Met Police starlets now tied to contracts with the club
Pearn, who is studying A-levels in maths, English and economics at George Abbot School near where he lives in Burpham, is hoping the team’s exploits can help him land a sports scholarship in the US.
“To get this far shows we are not a bunch of mugs. You have to have ability to get to this stage,” he added.
“We have played a lot together and we are confident in each other.
“But we are going to have to rise to the occasion and raise our game a notch on Monday.”
Experience: Met Police Youth manager Stuart Searle, above, will be looking to pass on some of his knowhow to Blues shotstopper Kallum Lunn, below, who saved two of Yeovil Town's penalties in the last round
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