NICKY Spooner has got his young Wanderers used to playing under the bright lights in preparation for tonight’s FA Youth Cup tie at Middlesbrough.

The Under-18s boss is keen to make a good showing in this year’s competition after a shock exit to Chester 12 months ago.

Recognising his team was more tuned to playing in the afternoon, Spooner has sought to better acclimatise to a 7pm kick-off at the Riverside by altering the players’ training schedules in the build up to the game.

“By 7pm most of the lads are used to being at home with their feet up and watching TV,” he told The Bolton News.

“So we have rearranged a few things in their training schedules which helps them get used to playing at a different time of day.

“We’ve looked at what time they are training and eating so that it doesn’t come as such a shock to the system, and hopefully that will help.”

The wintry weather has already forced the game to be played two days later than planned but Spooner feels his team is capable of catching their hosts cold.

“Boro are a category one academy so the standard is very high but I’ve had a look at their results and they are up and down, much like any side at Under-18s level,” he said. “We’re going there believing we can win.

“You never really know how the players will handle it. Some boys go out there under the floodlights and freeze. They struggle in the big stadia. Others take to it naturally.

“It is a great experience and regardless of what they do in their football career they will remember these games.”

Wanderers have hit 14 goals in their last five games, with Luca Navarro and Dennis Politic in particularly lethal form.

Spooner is confident his side can ask question of the Boro defence.

“Gav McCann often jokes we’re like Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott – we’ll just score more than you,” he laughed. “I think we can be described as ‘free flowing’ this season, and we have got some good attacking players.

“If we can match that up and be solid at the back too we’ll be okay.”

Wanderers have had a chequered recent history in the FA Youth Cup but reached the quarter final stage in 2013 – beating Tottenham 8-4 at White Hart Lane along the way.

David Lee and Tony Kelly’s side could call on the likes of Rob Holding, Chris Lester, Tom Youngs, Zach Clough and Tom Walker – who all went on to play first team football for Bolton.

They lost 3-2 after extra time in the last eight to Nottingham Forest and Spooner sees no reason why his own side cannot reach the latter stages.

“It would be great to have a good run in the competition,” he said. “You can never really predict how things will go. We just have to prepare right.”