THE New Saints head into this weekend’s Welsh Cup quarter final hoping to avoid an upset as they host Cardiff Grange Harlequins.
The Saints last won the cup back in 2004/05 and they know they face a tough task against motivated South Walian opposition.
TNS spokesman, Gordon Evans said: “It’s going to be a very, very tough game we know that. They’ve won their last three games and they beat Bridgend last weekend so we are expecting a tough game.
“They can be very good or very bad, so we have to prepared for the best they can throw at us. They’re a decent side, they can play football and it’s their cup final really.
“They’re a step away from a semi-final then a step from a final so it’s a big game for them.
“We will prepare like we do for every game, professionally and we know we need to be at our best to get the result we want.”
Evans admitted that TNS will need to improve on their recent performances to avoid becoming a big name casualty.
He said: “I think by our own admission we have not been at our best. We’ve had a few injuries, suspensions and bad decisions but we will be ready for Saturday.
“It’s going to be tough but we want to win the Welsh Cup again, it’s a big tournament. It’s probably a bigger game for us than it is for them. We would underestimate them at out peril.”
TNS midfielder Aeron Edwards said the squad are desperate to add another big name trophy to their cabinet.
He said: “It’s a big tournament and there’s a massive incentive that the winners go into the second round of Europe. It will be a hard game but we will have an advantage playing on our pitch the way we play.”
Edwards also insisted the team will approach the fixture as if it were any other.
He said: “We always play the same way, nothing changes but we cannot expect them to be any worse than the teams in our league, we have to go out there with the same mentality we normally do.”