THE future is bright. The future is youth.

That's the saying doing the rounds at Gigg Lane at the moment and with good reason.

Four youngsters, including 16-year-old goalkeeper Seb Roe, played in the midweek fund-raising match with Accrington Stanley and they did not look out of place.

And the talented foursome - including David Ball, Paul O'Shaughnessy and Nicky Thompson - indicate just where the future of the club could lie.

If the worst does come to the worst and several senior players are off-loaded at the end of the season to reduce the club's crippling wage bill, these young players and many more will be expected to step up to the senior ranks. In short, the club depends on them.

And chairman Terry Robinson is more keen than most to see them progress because he know they could be in the first team sooner rather than later.

"It's a big plus that we saw so many talented youngsters against Accrington," said the Shakers chairman.

"It's not just Stretch (Chris Armstrong), Nicky Hill and Danny Swailes but we had a 16-year-old keeper out there who's as good as anyone around.

"I think it bodes well for the future of the club. Certain sections of the media seem to like bad news and have become more interested in us now there is a chance we might fold.

"But this club isn't going to end and the youngsters out there proved it."

Robinson reserved special praise for left-back Chris Armstrong, who's only a teenager and has played just one first team game but is already considered something of a senior compared to the next generation who played against Accrington.

Robinson said: "I don't want to build him up but I think Stretch has got the pedigree, the ability and the temperament.

"I think he is going to be a very good player though having said that there were a few good ones out there against Accrington."

After the match Robinson also joked about re-signing former Shakers legend Mark Carter, now 40 and playing for Radcliffe Boro.

Playing for Accrington, Carter scored with a good header early on only for it to be disallowed for offside.

"I was trying to find out whether Carter was still fit enough to play for us and whether the manager would sign him after he scored that goal," laughed Robinson. "When it went in I thought blinkin' heck he might just be .

"But seriously we are still looking for a striker on loan. Andy Preece has a list of names and though it isn't easy we will keep trying."