It's going to be colourful, as well as interesting, when over this at Roots Hall, Ricky Duncan's Southend United Under-18 side will face the Premiership academy youth team of Wolverhampton Wanderers on the Saturday, with the one of those sides playing either Norwich City or Leicester City the following day in the final, along with a third/fourth play-off.
It's been known as the Toomey Cup in the past with Everton and West Ham as previous winners as the young Shrimpers have even matched and beaten the mighty Arsenal Under-18's.
Now known as the Cars4All Trophy, the dealer is based in London Road, Westcliff, both the Saturday games have been decided:
Match 2: Southend United 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (after 90 minutes: Southend United win 4-2 on penalties.)
Yet another FA Academy side fell to the young Shrimpers, and at last the lads won a penalty shoot-out, when Woves Under-18's were beaten 4-2 from the spot-kick shoot-out after the two teams were level 1-1 when the ref blew the final whistle.
The 16-year old Lyle Della-Verde opened the scoring on 43 minutes showing fine skill, before the boys from the black country equalised on 82 minutes, a good finish by former England Under-16 Zeli Ismail.
The away side, who former under-18 Shrimper Dominic Orfa played the entire game for, can only blame themselves as on only 8 minutes Jake Kempton missed a penalty, a good save by Blues shot stopper Andres Pascoe, and a sign of things to come.
So on to the spot-kicks, and Auger, Payne, Della-Payne and Jack Bridge all converted to see the Shrimeprs youth team into Sunday's in al against another Academy side in Norwich City.
Congrats to Ricky Duncan and the team, and let's bring on those Canaries!
Southend United Under-18's: Pascoe, Furlonge, Hyams, Hyland (Bridges 53), Baucutt, Hassini, Agykwa (Pinnock 58), Auger, Njie (Mullings 53), Pinnock (Della-Verde 36), Paxman (Payne 48).
Subs not used: Smith, Tatham, Jeffrey.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-18's: Flatt, Bashford (Hill 53), Cranston, Whittall, Schofield, Iorfa, O'Neill (McDonald 53), Kellerman, Kempton (Streete 55), Ismail, Ifil.
Subs not used: Cotman, Douglas, Keane, Barnes.
A fuller report here: www.southendunited.co.uk
Sunday, July 24th
11.30 (TBC) - Leicester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
15.00 (TBC) - Southend United v Norwich City
Match 1: Leicester City 0 Norwich City 2 (11.30 am kick-off)
The young Canaries deserved the victory brought to them with goals by Josh Murphy and Mike Clunan.
The Foxes youth side included the former Southend trailist Jason Benton.
The first goal came on 41 minutes when Murphy practicly passed the ball into the net after a cracking 25 yard pass from Jamar Loza.
Norwich tied the game up after the break on 52 minutes when Clunan, who has amazingly been at Carrow Road for ten years already at the age of 17, hit a superb thirty yarder past Canary keeper Remi Matthews.
Ryan Leonard eat your heart out!
That was enough to see the Suffolk youngsters into Sunday's final where they will play the victors of the next game that is between the hosts Southend United and Wolverhampton Wanderers up at 15.00.
A fuller report available here: www.southendunited.co.uk