PETER Nicholas is mightily impressed with Newport County's youth academy set-up - and he'll give a few more vital first-team action at Sutton Coldfield Town in the Dr Martens Cup tonight (7.45pm).

The league cup was never high on Tim Harris' pecking order during his five-and-a-half year stint at the Exiles - and Nicholas also agrees the competition is not their highest priority.

Young left-winger Chris Rogers is set to make his debut for the Dr Martens Premier League side tonight at the Central Ground while fellow academy product Gethin Jones has another chance to impress in the centre of midfield.

And Nicholas said teenage duo Josh Dupres and Lloyd Stone, a central defender and midfielder respectively, will play some part as County's new boss looks over the bunch of talented prospects that are progressing through the club's academy.

Second-choice keeper Tim Hart may get the nod ahead of Pat Mountain as Nicholas wants to see all of his players' ability at first-hand.

Another youngster keeping his place is Lee Stanton while his defensive colleague, experienced Jason Perry, after his eight-month absence from the first-team, looks set to start again after a solid display at Dover Athletic on Saturday.

"I'll have a good look at a lot of our youngsters," said Nicholas. "The academy set-up at Newport County is second to none and this game is a chance for them to show me what they can do.

"The Dr Martens Cup is not our highest priority so that's why I have rested some first-team members and given the younger players their chance to shine."

Nicholas' new assistant Glyn Jones, who has been head of Newport County's youth development programme since its inception four years ago, insisted: "This is a great opportunity for the academy players to impress. The whole point of the youth academy is to strengthen the first team and it's great that some of the youngsters will get their chance tonight."

Jones then told the rest of his youth team squad that their first-team chance will come if they continue to "work hard in the academy."

Meanwhile, centre-back Billy Clark, who is rested for tonight's trip to Dr Martens Western League Sutton Coldfield, has been taken off the transfer list.

Newport County (from) T Hart, L Stanton, J Perry, S Walker, A Thomas, M Fowler, M Rose (c), G Jones, R Plant, N Davis, C Rogers, J Dupres, A Stevenson, L Stone, J Eckhardt, P MountainDavis, C Rogers, J Dupres, A Stevenson, L Stone, J Eckhardt, P Mountain