Nottingham Forest Under-23s head coach Andy Reid hopes Reds fans will turn out in their numbers for the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off semi-final at Stoke City on Sunday.
The young Reds take on the Potters in a one-off fixture at the bet365 Stadium having finished the regular season fourth in the standings, a point behind third-placed Stoke City. The winner will take on either Wolves or Norwich City in the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off final.
Reid's side concluded the league season with a six-game unbeaten run, including big wins over Sunderland (3-0), West Brom (5-0) and Birmingham City (0-3) on the final day. During that spell the Reds also beat Stoke City 2-0 at the start of April at the Nigel Doughty Academy thanks to a brace from Ateef Konate.
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Ahead of the game, Under-23s head coach Andy Reid said: "Preparations are going really well, the boys are buzzing and rightly so. I think with everything that’s currently going on at the football club, the lads have a real spring in their step when they’re at the training ground.
"We had a really busy end to the season with games coming thick and fast and we thankfully got what we deserved which is to go into a play-off game. Like the FA Youth Cup was for the Under 18s, this game is a great opportunity for us to showcase what we can do.
"The guys have been a pleasure to work with all season, they’ve had their ups and downs, they’ve come through the campaign strongly and they’re champing at the bit for Sunday.
"We know Stoke are a good side, they’ve been in the top four pretty much all season so there’s a real degree of consistency about them. We know it’s going to be a tough game, they’ve got some decent players and they’re well organised as you’d expect from a Stoke team."
"We’re expecting a tough test," said Reid. "But we’re very aware of the quality we’ve got and we’ll be hopeful of making it a tough test for them as well. I know it’s really tricky, especially with the cost of petrol. The FA Youth Cup final was the other night and the first team have play-off games on Saturday and Tuesday, but I would just urge anybody who can come down to come and support us.
"It’s a massive game for us, it’ll be a great occasion and it gives us the opportunity to put pressure on the boys and make them feel how they would within a first team environment. The more people we can get down to support us, the better. I’m very appreciative of the support we’ve had this season and appreciate how hectic it is."
