The leading three clubs in the JD Cymru Premier will head back into Europe this week with top dogs The New Saints hoping to at least emulate their record breaking run into the group stage of the UEFA Conference League.
Craig Harrison’s men played 14 matches across the three tournaments last season and once again kick-off of their campaign in the Champions League qualifying rounds against North Macedonian champions, KF Shkëndija.
The first leg will be at TNS’ Park Hall stadium on Tuesday night, while last season’s JD Cymru Premier runners-up Penybont head to Lithuania on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League clash with Kauno Zalgiris, who are currently well clear at the top of their domestic league.
Also in the Conference League, Haverfordwest County, who finished third last season, head to Malta to face Floriana at Centenary Stadium on Tuesday night.
All three teams have had a round of friendlies to warm-up for their European openers, with TNS picking up a 4-1 win over Linfield and draws with Larne and Ayr United.
They then went down to a 1-0 defeat at Newtown.
But Harrison has bolstered his squad with a record £200,000 signing of Airdrieonians striker Ben Wilson, former Wales U21 and QPR goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd, and Liverpool academy graduate Dominic Corness.
They all came in last month, while last week they were joined by defenders Kade Craig and Harvey Godsmark-Ford.
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The 22-year-old Craig helped Solihull Moors to reach the Vanarama National League play-off final last season and has EFL experience with Shrewsbury Town, while the 21-year-old Godsmark-Ford, arrives from the Leicester City, here he made 11 appearances in the EFL Trophy.
“We’ll have a bit more belief when we go into Europe this year after what happened last season, but we know it is going to be even harder. We can’t get carried away,” said Harrison.
“It would be pretty special if we could do it again, but going back-to-back will take some doing. We might have been underestimated last year and caught a few people off guard because we were ‘little old TNS’.
“But we knew we were going in well prepared given the level of detail we went into and how hard we worked. I think after last year, people will feel they need to take us a bit more seriously.
“We've learned from last year and we've got pretty much the same squad, with four or five additions, and so they’re a year better off experience-wise.
“There's huge expectation at this club. We're a full-time team who have the biggest budget in our league, but we've got the biggest expectations as well.”
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Penybont warmed-up with a 2-1 friendly win over Scottish Championship club Airdrieonians and a 3-0 home victory against newly promoted National League North side Merthyr Town, while Haverfordwest County were beaten 4-0 at Linfield.
“We know how hard it’s going to be against Floriana, but at least everybody’s fit and available and really looking forward to the test,” said Haverfordwest manger Tony Pennock.
“Everyone has worked extremely hard and we want to go out and enjoy the experience.
“You look back on games like these with great fondness, although we’ll enjoy it even more if we perform to the level that we know we can.”
READ MORE: Penybont Europe
