PROUD youth team coach Terry Pashley believes the first goal in next week’s FA Youth Cup semi final second leg will be vital.

Blackburn Rovers boast a slender 1-0 lead in the derby.

And Pashley will ask his young troops to give everything they can to peg it back in the Turf Moor re-match, after holding their own against physically stronger opposition on Thursday night.

“It was a physically tough game,” Pashley said. “They’re a big side who put you under pressure.

“But I’m really proud of the boys for the way they responded at half time. I thought they were excellent in the second half.

“The next goal in the tie is going to be vital, and that’s what we’ll be stressing to the boys.

“It’s going to be a tough ask, but if we can get the players to believe in themselves like they did in the second half, hopefully we can turn the tie around.”

Pashley felt some players were overawed by the experience of playing in front of a 10,000-plus crowd but said: “That’s the learning curve.

“Obviously now they’ve experienced it once they’ll be better prepared for Wednesday.”