IT has already been a big week in the burgeoning football careers of the Wanderers Under-18s, and the pressure isn’t over yet.

For while they were pipped in the final furlong by Leeds United for the Development League North title on Saturday, another chance for glory is still within reach.

Crystal Palace provide the opposition in the play-off semi-final on Friday lunchtime, as Nicky Spooner’s free-scoring team looks to finish a thoroughly impressive campaign off with a bang and qualify for a play-off final against either Leeds or Charlton Athletic.

The former Wanderers full-back speaks in glowing terms about a team which has rattled in an amazing 84 goals in 30 games, stringing together eight consecutive victories at one stage to top the table for most of March and April.

“They have been really good to watch,” he told The Bolton News. “I have had six or seven of the lads since they were nine years old, brought them to the club, so personally I take a lot of pride in how well they have played this season.

“It was a little bit disappointing to miss out on the title on the last day after being top for so long but I can’t have any complaints with the way they have been.”

The names of Dennis Politic, Luca Connell, Luca Navarro and James Aspinall have created quite a buzz around Lostock in the past several months, with some already making the step up to play in David Lee and Tony Kelly’s Under-23s.

Navarro leads the league’s goal-scorers with 17 in total, with Politic adding another 11 in just 13 starts. Matt Barnes has also reached double figures in a team that has produced more than its fair share of viral videos this term.

Spooner is reluctant to over-hype his players, however, having seen plenty of promising talents fail to bridge the final couple of years between youth and senior football. And he is urging the Wanderers fans to do the same.

“We have got high hopes for them but it boils down to two things: The individual and what he puts into it, and then the opportunities he is given,” he said.

“People get revved up when they see a player doing well at this level, just look at Alex Samizadeh when he was coming through, but they forget there is a lot of work which needs to go into players before they can get anywhere near the first team. We are very fortunate here because Phil Parkinson will bring the Under-18s in to train on a Monday and when he needs the numbers. The lads are getting a taste of what it takes to play at that level and they are doing it right underneath the manager’s nose.

“He watches them, comes to games, and he knows who is doing well. He will keep a very close eye on them and you don’t always get that.”

Wanderers have already met Palace once this season, scrapping out a 0-0 draw at the start of September when many of their regulars were seconded to the Under-23s.

Leeds, who edged a rather controversial 1-0 win at Lostock to sneak the title on Saturday, face Charlton Athletic in the other semi-final.

While results are often not made the priority at youth team level, Spooner admits having an extra edge to fixtures at the business end of the campaign will stand his players in good stead.

“It’s great for their development,” he said. “Kids are learning the importance of winning games.

“We can talk all day about improving players’ technique but that mentality is hard to replicate when you are playing youth team football. There isn’t the same edge in games.

“Games like Leeds, and the semi-final will be important for them going forward. It is a proper match with something riding on it.”