**National League Cup: A Sweetener for Eliminating Cup Replays or a Financial Lifeline?** The National League Cup, which features a matchup between Premier League Under-21 teams and fifth-tier reserves, has struggled to generate excitement, as evidenced by a disappointing turnout at Wealdstone's home game against Southampton. In a surprising turn of events, Wealdstone, a fifth-tier team, triumphed over Premier League Southampton's Under-21 squad with a score of 3-1 on Tuesday night. While this result may seem impressive at first glance, it comes with important context. Southampton's youth team traveled to north-west London to face a heavily rotated Wealdstone side in the newly revived National League Cup. This competition, reintroduced last month, features a 32-team format divided into four groups, comprising 16 teams from Premier League 2 and 16 from the fifth tier of English football. Despite the potential for thrilling matchups, the competition has yet to capture the imagination of fans, as demonstrated by the sparse crowd at Grosvenor Vale.