United’s young guns are unbeaten in their last five outings in all competitions, a record stretching back to mid-October.

They sit at the top of the Premier League Cup’s Group A – a point better off than the Saints – going into tomorrow’s encounter at the Staplewood Campus.

Beardsley is wary of the threat posed by the South Coast outfit, however, Martin Hunter’s side currently plying their trade a level higher than Newcastle in the Professional Development League pyramid.

One young Saints player, winger Josh Sims, made his bow for the club’s first team against Everton on Sunday, but Beardsley is hopeful United’s own emerging talent can take heart from their recent displays ahead of one of the toughest assignments of their season so far.

“Southampton are basically a First Division team in this system, so because of that it’ll be difficult, but the lads are playing with confidence. They’re fighting for each other, which is obviously more important than most things,” he told nufc.co.uk.

“The boy Sims was with Southampton’s first team on Sunday, which is great for them. We don’t know how seriously they’re taking this competition. You just never know, but a bit like the first team here, we try to win every game and see how we go.

“They’re all working hard for each other, they have a brilliant team spirit, and they do things together as a group, which is great for them long-term.”