ABERYSTWYTH Town begin the business end of their season with a Welsh Cup fourth round tie at League Cup finalists Cardiff Metropolitan this weekend, with boss Neville Powell eager to see his side progress to the quarter-finals.

Aber beat Bala Town 4-0 in the previous round, and Powell - who won the trophy three times as manager of Bangor - is looking for his side to build on a superb win over Connah’s Quay a fortnight ago.

The Seasiders drew 1-1 with the students in their league match at the Cyncoed Stadium earlier this month, having lost 2-0 in the corresponding fixture at Park Avenue in early September.

Progress to the last eight of the Welsh Cup, however, could be a perfect start to the second phase of the season for Aber - against a University side that were narrowly beaten 1-0 by The New Saints in the Nathaniel League Cup Final at Park Avenue on Saturday.

Having had two weeks to prepare for their next game, they are brimming with confidence after their latest performance.

“That was our biggest win of the season, without a shadow of a doubt,” reflected the Aber boss on their 4-2 win over the Nomads.

"The last two performances have been outstanding, and if we continue to work as hard as we have been recently, with the attacking players we have, it’ll stand us in good stead,"

Meanwhile Powell is optimistic that his side can go on to challenge for a play-off place in their remaining 10 league games in the bottom six table.

“I’ve always said we are in a false position with the players we’ve got here,” said the Aberystwyth manager.

“I came in late towards the start of the season and we had to get the new players integrated with the players we had, and didn’t have a great start.

“We turned it around and had a good November and end to October, and if we had won those two games against Carmarthen, we could well have been in a push for the top six.

“The league is tough, and there are no gimmies. You ask the top six sides and they’ll say that all they aim for at the start of the season is to hit 30 points and guarantee a top six spot.

“Obviously TNS are above that, but for the rest of the 11 sides, they all start the season with the same goal, to get to 30 points as quick as possible.

“We’re still learning and there’s no reason why we can’t go into that bottom six and do well. If we compete in every game, we wont be far off a play-off place at the end of the season.”

Aber finished the first phase on 22 points, seven points clear of second-from-bottom Prestatyn, and just six points adrift of seventh-placed Llandudno, whom they must climb above to make the play-offs.

Aber resume league action where they had started the campaign - at Barry on Saturday, 3 February - before home games against Llandudno on Friday, 9 February and Prestatyn the following Friday.

Notably, the Seasiders will complete their league campaign with two home derby matches, against west Wales rivals Carmarthen and mid Wales rivals Newtown on 20 and 27 April.

With skipper Jonny Spittle heading to the Nomads and fellow central defender John McKenna returning to New Zealand, the Seasiders have moved to sign Kurt Sherlock, Damien Allen and keeper Adam Walters, and all three are set to be involved in this weekend's match.Click on link below for all the latest transfer news