Welsh Cup final: Bala Town v The New Saints (Sun)
- Published
New Saints won all four leagues meetings between the sides this season
Bala boss Colin Caton will be hoping for a repeat of 2017 when his team face The New Saints in the Welsh Cup final at Bangor's Nantporth on Sunday.
They beat Craig Harrison's men 2-1 to win the Cup for the first time.
"I think it's our only win over TNS over the years that I've been there so Bangor could be a lucky ground for us," Caton said.
"They're [New Saints] back to what they had been when they were really a class team in 2017."
Caton added: "Craig got them chomping at the bit and they're hungry for more medals. I don't think they've been at it for the last couple of years for one reason or another but Craig's come back in and has got them flying.
"It's going to be a really difficult task for us but we've prepared well this week, and training has gone as well as it could do and we're looking forward to the game now."
Caton, appointed manager in 2003, will be in charge of Bala for the 799th time on Sunday and his team will be looking to complete a Cup double.
The Lakesiders beat Connah's Quay Nomads on penalties to win the MG Nathaniel Cup in January, but they go into Sunday's Welsh Cup final on the back of a 12-match winless run in the league.
Victory for Bala would also ensure a place in next season's Europa Conference League, while Saints have already guaranteed their place in the Champions League qualifiers as Cymru Premier champions.
Saints' loss to Bala in 2017 proved to be Harrison's final game in charge before he departed to take charge of Hartlepool United in the National League.
But the former Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace player returned to Park Hall as manager in place of Anthony Limbrick earlier in the season and led the club to a 14th Cymru Premier title.
Harrison described the decision to stage this year's final at Bangor as "comical" - a view backed by the club's owner, Mike Harris.
Harris said the final should have been staged at Cardiff City Stadium, which attracted a crowd of just over 2,400 for the 2022 final between Saints and Penybont.
"The FAW [Football Association of Wales] didn't really capitalise on last year's great success of taking it to the capital and continuing in that vein," Harris said.
"I am very disappointed, nothing to do with Bangor, but it's like taking the FA Cup from Wembley and taking it to Aston Villa and it doesn't feel right.
"Last season proved to be the most successful attended game since 1996.
"What's even more disappointing is since the demise of Bangor as a football team the pitch has been left to deteriorate a little bit.
"I've only seen the photographs but it isn't going to make the best surface for the best style of football.
"I'm sure for next season they [the FAW] will get their act together again.
"We're going to make an occasion of it regardless."