MARTIN Paterson believes Burnley’s youngsters can go on to win the FA Youth Cup – if they overcome rivals Blackburn Rovers tonight.

The Clarets trail 1-0 going in to the second leg at Turf Moor (kick-off 7pm).

But senior striker Paterson does not feel it is a bridge too far for Terry Pashley’s young charges.

And he insists they have the full support of everyone at the football club, with the first team players expected to all be at tonight’s East Lancashire derby re-match.

“We might all have to come to the game and watch it, and rightly so, to give a bit of support to them,” said the 24-year-old “They probably come to every (home) game and watch us so it’s only fair.

“To be in the semi-final of the youth cup with a chance of making the final is a fantastic honour for the club, and hopefully they can go on and win it.”

Meanwhile, David Dunn has called for Blackburn Rovers’ starlets to ‘show us what you are made of’ as they look to follow in his FA Youth Cup footsteps.

The Rovers midfielder represented Rovers in the 1998 FA Youth Cup final, a 5-3 defeat to Everton, and will be at Turf Moor tonight for the academy class of 2012’s semi final second leg against bitter rivals Burnley.

Rovers lead 1-0 from the first leg but Dunn insists the result is secondary to taking the next step towards a professional career.

He said: “It will be a great atmosphere and it obviously would be great to reach the final. But the main thing for a youth team player is to progress and to get a career out of it.

“So to play under these circum-stances, in front of a big crowd and against your local rivals, I think you find out who can play under pressure and who will crumble.

“I remember when I was in the final with Rovers and I wobbled in the first leg at Ewood. It is a big test playing in front of such a crowd.

“Youth team football is all about producing players. The important thing for both teams is not winning cups, it is how many of these players go on to have a career.

“Games like this are a learning curve for the players and the coaches because you see who the players are that can cope with the pressure.”