Nottingham Forest Under-21s will travel to Ollerton Town Community FC tonight in the Notts Senior Cup as Dave Rogers seeks a quarter-final berth.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Town and they are currently on cloud nine.
In the previous round of the Notts Cup, they defeated Sherwood Colliery of the United Counties Premier Division on penalties.
There is no love lost between those two sides and boss Stephen Bodle was delighted to emerge victorious.
On Saturday, the Walesby Lane outfit reached the Second Round of the FA Vase.
They overcame Hereford-based Westfields 1-0 thanks to a well-taken Jack Hollis-Smith goal from the penalty spot.
Up next for them in that competition is Lye Town but tonight attention will turn towards Forest.
The young Reds have kick-started their campaign in recent weeks.
Rogers has overseen a good run of form which has reaped three wins and a draw from their last four outings.
It’s anticipated that Forest will send a mixture of youth and experience to face Ollerton tonight.
The likes of George Shelvey, Jack Nadin and Detlef Esapa Osong could all make the trip.
There could also be an appearance from three players who boast first-team experience to their names.
Ateef Konate came off the bench against Barnsley in the Championship last season and is bang in form during 2022/23.
Elsewhere, Dale Taylor was on the bench against Swansea last season, whilst Oliver Hammond has been on the bench twice in the Premier League during the current campaign.
They could all get valuable minutes at Walesby Lane this evening.
Ollerton set for Forest Under-21s test
Cup fever has gripped the Nottinghamshire village and a good crowd will be expected tonight.
Last season, the Reds played Selston at the same stage of the competition and came out on top.
A stern test will await the young Reds tonight, with confidence sky-high among Bodle’s ranks.
The manager has got his team playing some superb football and on a shoestring budget, he’s busy defying the odds on a weekly basis.
Tonight looks set to be a brilliant occasion and Forest supporters are encouraged to make the trip to Ollerton this evening.
*Tonight’s game is pay on the gate with a cost of £5 for adults and £3 for concessions. Food and drink will be available on-site and programmes will be available. Proceedings get underway at 5:45 when two primary school teams square off before the main event.