Young guns make debuts for patched up battlers

Last updated : 07 January 2006 By Rick Lamb
Nigel Worthington's threadbare squad saw today's match become a memorable occasion for three of the 14 players in yellow.

Rossi Jarvis made his first senior start for the club just days after signing professional terms to follow in the footsteps of his brother Ryan, the club's youngest ever player.

With just a few seconds left on the clock, Rossi was replaced by Andrew Cave-Brown to give the 17-year-old his debut. Just a handful of minutes earlier, Michael Spillane had become the club's youngest ever FA Cup debutant when he replaced Jason Jarrett.

The kids provided hope on a stressful day which for a long time seemed destined to see the beginning of the end for Dean Ashton and which ended with Robert Green leaving the field in a neckbrace.