FOREST GREEN Academy manager Scott Bartlett says they are relishing the chance of visiting their Bristol Rovers counterparts under the lights in the FA Youth Cup this evening.

Bartlett and manager Chris Barker will take their U18 side to the Memorial Stadium in the first round of the competition for the 7pm kick-off.

Key midfielder Jordan Stevens may feature despite playing 71 minutes for the first team in the 2-0 Checkatrade Trophy defeat against Swansea U21s on Tuesday, returning from illness to put in a man-of-the-match performance against the Swans.

The Gas and Rovers have already met this season in the Youth Alliance League where they played out a 2-2 draw at the Royal Agriculture University and Bartlett is anticipating another good contest.

“We’re excited,” Bartlett told FGR club website.

“We look forward to every game and we’re really enjoying the start to the season in the EFL and a bonus for that is coming into the FA Youth Cup at the first round.

“We’re used to having to play five or six games to get to this stage so it’s a bit of a bonus to be guaranteed a place in the first round because there are some banana skins en route.

“We get on well with the people at Bristol and we’re looking forward to the game.

“We’ve already has a really good game with them this season with a 2-2 draw at home and we look forward to taking them on at their place.

“I think they’ll be very similar to what they were because I think a lot of the other sides in the division are more settled than us.

“We knew that would be the case in our first season, we’ve got a handful of scholars and a little bit of a mixture of a squad.

“We knew that would be the case and the lads have done really well given the circumstances.”

However, Bartlett is intent on making sure his players, a number making the step up from the U16s, don’t get too wrapped up in the occasion and will concentrate on preparing for the game in the right manner.

“We’re looking forward to getting down there and our preparation won’t change, it’s just another game for us,” he added.

“I think in years gone by, the FA Youth Cup has probably been one of the games everyone enjoys the least because it’s been built up too much.

“We’ve spoken to the boys and it’s about that expectation of the players and the parents - all of a sudden 10 people want to come and watch them instead of one.

“We’ll just prepare as normal and we’ll look forward to going down there and playing a game under lights because it’s a different experience for the boys.”

Tickets are available for the tie, with only the West Stand open to the public and are priced at £5 for adults and £1 for U16s.

The car park at the Memorial Stadium will be open for the fixture, operating on a first come first served basis.