TNS are bidding for the double

The Cardiff City Stadium hosts the final, a ground where Saints memorably beat Viktoria Plzen 4-2 in a Europa Conference League qualifying round tie last August, before eventually being knocked out on penalties following the second leg in the Czech Republic.

Having finished the JD Cymru Premier season 21 points clear at the top of the table, Saints return to the Welsh capital striving to retain a trophy they won the last time the competition’s final was played in 2019.

Head coach Anthony Limbrick said TNS is ‘a club that wants to win trophies’.

He said: “You want to be competing on the biggest stage. We’re at Cardiff City Stadium, where we had the European run, and I think for a number of reasons really it’s a big, big game for us as a club.

“We’re the holders of the competition. Obviously, it hasn’t been running for the last couple of years, but we want to go and win this game, and it’s a really important one.

“I think we’ve shown that in previous rounds of the cup with the team that we’ve selected, playing a very strong team all throughout, because we’ve wanted to get to the final and try and push on and go one better than just getting to the final, so, yes, we’re all looking forward to it. This is why you play for this club, or coach, or you’re involved in it, to be in a position to try and win trophies, so we’re happy where we are and it would finish off a very positive season.”

Champions Saints go into the final in good form after winning their final four league games of the season, while Penybont slipped down the table in the closing weeks of the campaign to end the campaign in sixth place.

But Limbrick insisted: “I would say that the current results and current form absolutely go out the window. They really do.

“It’s a one-off game, it’s a cup final. Both teams will definitely be up for it, both teams will want to win the game.”

As for the preparations at Park Hall leading up to tomorrow’s final, Limbrick added: “The mood of the players in the camp has been fantastic all season I must say.

“Even after we got over the line and won the league with seven games to go, their professionalism, their desire to keep winning and to keep pushing on till the end of the season, and to get into this final as well, has been nothing short of first class.

“All the staff and the players have been bang on it this week. It’s easy to motivate this group of players, especially for a big game like this.

“Obviously, there will be tough decisions to make in terms of picking and selecting a team, but we’ve got to be as fair as we can and try and pick the best team to win the game.”