The door is wide open for Gillingham’s youth players, insists new head coach Ady Pennock.

He, along with first team coach Jamie Day, watched Gills’ under-18s in the FA Youth Cup on Friday night.

The youngsters lost the fourth round match at Hillsborough 3-0.

But there is plenty of scope for those youngsters to make a mark in the first team, as they did under former boss Justin Edinburgh.

“It is important to see what is underneath us,” said Pennock.

“I met them (the under-18s) on Thursday and if we can get two or three into the first team then that is fantastic, great for us and great for the area and that is what we want. It will be good to see them.”

Pennock knows under-18 boss Mark Patterson well and wants all departments at the club to work in tandem.

He said: “Me and Patto go back a long way. He has that experience and he has been here a long time, but I don’t want to have the youth team here and the reserves there, it has to be as one, from top to bottom, the chairman right to the tea lady.

“I am looking forward to getting everyone working hard together as one.”

Wednesday won the cup game with a quick-fire first half double from Lewis Price and Fraser Preston, before rounding off the scoring soon after the break through Preston.

Bradley Stevenson and Sam Lawford came close for the Gills at 3-0 down but the home side progress, facing either Birmingham or Chelsea in the next round.