Pembo hails youngsters

Last updated : 08 April 2011 By Bladesmadeditor

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The young Blades, who dispatched Cheltenham, Millwall, Blackpool, Leicester and Aston Villa along the way to reach the final two, made history by becoming the first United team to reach the FA Youth Cup Final.

United's passage through to the final has been fairly comfortable. John Pemberton's boys recorded 4:1, 3:0, 3:1, 2:1 and 3:0 (aggregate) victories along the way.

An overjoyed Pemberton said: "It is just a great night. The FA Youth Cup final for Sheffield United is fantastic and it is the first time we have progressed this far in our history.

"I didn't think too much about making history before the game because my thoughts were firmly on preparing to face Aston Villa.

"Having played them twice in a short space of time we had to go through the processes again of making sure we were hard to beat, and in the end we were certainly deserved to win over the two legs.

"I am pleased with the performance because it was always going to be difficult against a good Villa side, but we are a good team, with a great spirit and they have worked ever so hard. I am really proud of every one of the lads.

"I came in last summer and they took to me straight away and were open minded about the changes I wanted to make and the discipline which is so important to me.

"I am demanding of them in the right way, they have accepted everything I have told them and the way I am and they have taken to it like a duck to water."

Pembo also revealed that he feels a few of his academy lads are ready to make the cut at first team level. He said: "I believe that a few of these boys are ready for the first team. I'm not naming names because that wouldn't be fair."

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