TNS boss Scott Ruscoe grateful for home Europa tie

The Saints’ European campaign will begin with a one-legged first qualifying round tie in Oswestry against the Slovak visitors on August 27.

The behind-closed-doors contest will come as a stern test for TNS. Zilina have previously made the group stage of the competition and reached the Champions League group stage, where they faced Chelsea, in 2011.

But Ruscoe, whose side have been back in pre-season training for a month and faced Barry Town in a warm-up match last Saturday, hopes that TNS’ artificial 3G playing surface will prove problematic for the visitors, who were runners-up in the Slovak Super Liga last season.

“It’s great to be at home,” Ruscoe said.

“We’re comfortable here and used to the surface. There are opposition that don’t like playing on the 3G.

“It’s very positive in that respect but the opposition are of good pedigree and have started their league already, so will be in good shape.

“They’ll have played another couple of games by the time we play them. So we’ll start our homework straight away to make sure we leave no stone unturned.”

The visitors got their league campaign off to a 4-0 winning start on Saturday. Saints face a Wolves under-18s side in a friendly at Lilleshall tonight.

Ruscoe added: “It’s one of those occasions to look forward to. New players coming in want to play European games.

“As a manager I was told to play as many as you can because time flies by, you may have shirts and a few memories but they’re the best sporting nights of your life at our level.”

Asked if home advantages made his side favourites to progress to the second qualifying round, the boss replied: “I don’t know, I haven’t seen them yet. I don’t know how they play or the players there.

“A one-legged tie is very unique. It’s in our favour we haven’t got to go away.

“It’s a 90-minute game, it’s Cup final football.”