CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS jetted off on another European adventure yesterday and boss Neil Gibson doesn’t want the trip to Slovenia to be their one and only excursion abroad this summer.

Nomads - Welsh Cup winners and Cymru Premier League runners-up - play NK Bravo tomorrow night in the first qualifying round clash.

Bosnian side HŠK Zrinjski Mostar await the winners and Gibson wants it to be his side in the second round qualifier.

“It’s a massive game for us but one we’ve prepared well for,” said Gibson.

“We had a very good workout against Dundee United at the weekend; we’ve watched many of Bravo’s games last season and managed to see clips of some of their pre-season games too.

“That’s a good thing for us that they haven’t started their season as most teams we’ve played in the past have already been well into their campaigns.

“The draw’s difficult because obviously Slovenia are ranked higher than ourselves but we’re seeded and their unseeded, which is always a bit of a strange one to work out why you get a club of that stature.”

It’s been a case of ins and outs at Nomads, who have seen first-team regulars Jordan Davies, Andy Firth, Ryan Harrington and Josh Williams all move on.

New keeper George Ratcliffe is one of the new arrivals from Tranmere Rovers while Chris Marriott has joined from The New Saints where he won titles galore in a 15-year stay.

“We’ve had a turnaround,” said Gibson. “Good players have gone and good players have been brought in. Now it’s time to show what we can do and the most important thing is to make sure we’re still in the tie for next week’s second leg at Bangor.”

Nomads flew out to Zagreb yesterday before making the trip from Croatia to Slovenia by coach.

They will train at Bravo’s Siska Sports Park before settling down to watch England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.

“We’ve planned the schedule so we can watch the game later on,” added Gibson. “There’s going to be a bit of banter with English lads and Welsh ones in the camp.”

Captain John Disney, who will play his 18th European tie with Nomads tomorrow night, says he’ll be keeping the players in check tonight.

“The Welsh lads won’t want England to win,” said Disney. “I’ve got Irish family links, so if England win I’m English but if they lose I’m Irish!”

NK Bravo, formed in 2006, finished fourth in the Slovenian PrvaLiga last season.

In a meteoric rise, they’ve claimed four promotions over the past decade and they claimed the Slovenian Second Division title in 2018-19.

But Gibson can relate to that because as player-manager of his home-town club Prestatyn Town, he guided them to victory over Leipajas Metalurgs in the Europa League 11 years ago.“It was a dream to win on penalties that night,” recalled Gibson. “When I took over at Prestatyn we were in tier three - the Welsh Premier League never mind Europe was a distant dream.”