LLANGOLLEN TOWN manager Luke Maybury says tonight’s trip to all-conquering The New Saints is a ‘special’ reward for his side.

Llangollen have enjoyed two excellent seasons in the Ardal North East League and now they have the chance to go head-to-head with Craig Harrison’s Saints at Park Hall.

“The TNS game is special for us,” said Maybury, whose side have beaten Holywell United, Y Felinheli and St Asaph City to earn a trip to the Welsh champions.

“ Since I came on board four years ago, it’s been a tough at times, but all of the lads have stuck together and now get to face the best team in the country.

“We’re all buzzing as you can imagine, and I want everyone to be. The league is the bread and butter for us but the Welsh Cup is just a bonus, a massive one!

“We have a couple missing like every week and the odds are firmly stacked against us so we may as well go and play a brand of football that we enjoy and give it a go.”

While the Saints have a European showdown with Astana to look forward to next week, boss Harrison says the full focus is on Llangollen.

He told S4C’s Sgorio: “On Friday night, it will be our third game in six days and then I think we’ve got a six-day turnover then to our first ever home game in the Conference League group stage.

“But, we’ve got to get through the Welsh Cup first, because we want to win the Welsh Cup. We want to win the League Cup. We want to win the league and we want to get as far as what we can in the Europa Conference.”

Llanrhaeadr are also in action tonight with a trip to Colin Caton’s Bala Town.

Caernarfon Town cross the Britannia Bridge to tackle Holyhead Hotspur in what should be a cup cracker tonight while Cymru Premier League leaders Penybont are at home to Cardiff Met.

Tonight’s other ties: Goytre v Cardiff Draconians; Penydarren BGC v Pontypridd Utd.

The second teams from Llangollen and Penyffordd Lions do battle in the Mike Beech Memorial Trophy tomorrow while in the NEWFA Reserves Cup, Mynydd Isa host Greenfield.