Colchester United's footballers will be aiming to step beyond the fringe at Milton Keynes Dons 'theatre of dreams' tonight.
Missing out? - Mark Yeates could be rested tonight because of a niggling injury. (46774-9)
In-form U's play the Dons in an LDV Vans Trophy Southern Area quarter-final at the National Hockey Stadium.
And for several Layer Road fringe players it could be the chance for them to step off the substitutes bench and prove they are worthy of more than a squad place.
"There will definitely be changes tonight," said ecstatic U's boss Phil Parkinson, who watched his high-flyers extend their unbeaten run to 11 games when seeing-off the Don's 2-0 in Coca-Cola League One action last Saturday.
"This competition gives me a chance to rest one or two of the lads who have been playing regularly and bring in those other players who by rights would be regulars in the first team at any other time.
"I'm very wary of the first year I was at the club when we played a staggering 61 League and cup games in the season.
"That cost us a place in the promotion play-offs because we didn't really have anyone else to bring into the side.
"This time it's different. There are senior players like Karl Duguid, Richard Garcia, Kem Izzet and Dean Gerkin just chomping at the bit for a place in the starting line-up.
"And Pat Baldwin, last season's player-of-the-year, has hardly had a look-in at all."
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Published Tuesday, December 20, 2005
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