HEREFORD United director of youth Pete Beadle believes his young charges are fully deserving of their chance to take on Manchester City in next Wednesday's FA Youth Cup fourth round tie.

"It's a massive game and one the players have earned," he said.

"They have worked hard from day one and now they have got their reward with a chance to pit their wits against the creme de la creme."

The only disappointment for the young Bulls is that they will be playing the tie at Hyde's ground rather than the Etihad stadium.

"It's a shame it's not at the right stadium - for some reason the FA rules change for the big clubs but the boys should really be playing at Manchester City's main ground," said manager Martin Foyle.

"The smaller clubs are always told you must play at your own ground - apparently the reason they don't play a lot of theirs at their ground is their European games," added Beadle.

"But it's always a bonus when you play on a first-team pitch but the fact that it's Manchester City is the big thing for the players and for myself."

Beadle, who took over from John Layton during the summer after the former Bulls boss had overseen the youth programme's first two years, said that he was delighted with the run which had taken the youngsters into the competition's last 32.

"We've had MK Dons, and everyone speaks extremely highly of their youth programme so to win as well as we did was a massive achievement for a club like ours," said the former Newport County manager.

"We've been to Bournemouth, who are a Championship club and won on penalties, I think we should have won the game in the 90minutes but we went to penalties which was a bit more excitement.

"We're proud of every one of them and now it's a chance to go and enjoy it - who knows what happens in the next round.

"But we have to give the players the inner belief that they are not just going up there to enjoy the occasion, they are going to try to win a game of football which is what we want to do.

"It will be a big educational day for them, they will have to control and overcome their nerves in all the excitement and turn it into a performance."

Because of the size of the Bulls squad, the youth squad regularly train with the first-team and Beadle believes that some will soon be ready for the step up.

"Because it is such a small club and they have as much involvement with the first-team as they do, they know the carrot is there for them that if they keep performing well then they will get a chance," he said.

"I'm sure they will be ready - against Nuneaton, Cory Williams said he was nervous before he went on but when he did get on he just got on with his game.

"That is the education we are trying to give them, not to be fazed by too many things - whatever comes along they have to take it on the chin, get on with it and move forward.

"One or two are pretty close, and if it's a couple this year and a couple next year then that's fine and that's was has always been the main aim for us."