The New Saints manager Scott Ruscoe admits he would love to play his part in hijacking the Irn-Bru Cup.
The Welsh Premier League outfit will bid to reach the final by overcoming Scottish Championship club Dumbarton in tomorrow evening’s televised clash at Park Hall stadium.
TNS are determined to go one further this season after being eliminated by St Mirren in last year’s semi-final.
Although essentially a Scottish competition, the Saints could end up playing Crusaders in the final, with the Northern Irish side taking on Inverness in the other last-four tie on Sunday – and Ruscoe admits he would love to take silverware back to Wales.
Ruscoe said: “This year it could be, I’m not saying it will be, a Welsh-Irish final.
“You have all the Scottish teams in it and then you could have those two teams in the final.
“We’ll do our utmost to make sure we’re in the final and for me, in my first season as manager, it would be a proud moment.
“The later you get in the competition, the excitement builds and it gives us a chance to play against other teams.
“We won the league cup a few weeks ago, that’s one ticked off and we’re 12 points clear in the league, which is our top priority.
“The Irn Bru Cup is one the players enjoying playing in because they come across different players
“To get to the final would be great but we’re not taking it for granted.
“We were really pleased to get to this stage again after doing it last season.
“We played St Mirren last year in the semi-final and it was a good entertaining game until one of our players for sent off and we ended up losing 4-1, but I think if we had kept all eleven players on the pitch it would have been a lot closer.”
