SOUTHEND United coach Dave Huzzey is hoping Blues fans will back his young side in the Southern Section Semi-Finals of the EFL Youth Alliance Cup on Saturday.

The Shrimpers take on Cambridge United at Boots & Laces in a clash which kicks off at 11am.

And Huzzey is keen for more supporters to come and watch the match.

“We received terrific support in The FA Youth Cup when we played Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic away, and it was noticeable how loud our fans were,” he said.

“It would be brilliant if some extra supporters could come to the training ground on Saturday to get behind the side and hopefully inspire the team to reach the area final.”

Both Blues and Cambridge enjoyed impressive area quarter-final victories away from home.

Southend triumphed 3-1 at AFC Bournemouth while the U’s claimed a 2-0 success against South East Conference rivals Stevenage.

The two sides have met twice in the league already, with both matches finishing 3-2 to the teenage Shrimpers.

However, Huzzey does not believe previous meetings will determine the tie.

“It is a challenge and we’ve spoken a lot about the process this season,” said Huzzey.

“We’ve got to make sure we go into this game exactly the same as we approached the Gillingham game, with the same mentality and the right defensive organisation to ensure we can execute our offensive play.”

The winners of Saturday’s match will meet either Exeter City or Northampton Town in the area final in February.