KEVIN ROBERTS would happily give up a third FA Trophy victory at Wembley to win promotion with Wrexham this season.

The Reds, who won the competition in 2013 and were beaten finalists two years later, entertain National League North high-flyers Harrogate Town in the first round on Saturday.

Roberts is no stranger to Trophy runs himself and left Wembley with two winners’ medals in the space three years with Cambridge United and Halifax Town.

Wrexham sit third in the National League, two points behind leaders Macclesfield, and maintaining the promotion challenge is priority.

“It is a really good competition,” said Roberts. “I won it at Cambridge and then at Halifax so I do enjoy it.

“But for selfish reasons I would rather go on and win the league, and the Trophy can hamper the league form.

“The league is the priority in my eyes. Getting out of this league is definitely the number one target.”

But Roberts is not dismissive of the competition having twice reached the final.

“At the end of the day, it is a chance to play at Wembley and you don’t get the chance a lot,” said Roberts. “The carrot at the end of it, it is a big day at Wembley for the fans, players and the club if you manage to get there.

“It is a great competition for non-league and I am sure we will be trying to see how far we can go, and try and win that as well.”

Roberts first reached the final with Cambridge in 2014 and the U’s avoided an upset by beating part-timers Gosport Borough 4-0.

Roberts was disappointed he didn’t start the game, although he was named in the side when Cambridge returned to Wembley a couple of months later and beat Gary Mills’ Gateshead 2-1 in the play-off final to win promotion back to the Football League.

“I played in every round but never played in the final,” said Roberts.

“I was on the bench, I was a little bit disappointed at the time but it was still a great experience. The lads won and I got a medal. 

“I got to play at Wembley anyway at the end of the season when I started the play-off final. 

“Me and Richard Tate, the two right-backs, got one each so it probably worked out quite fair in the end, we both deserved a game each.”

Roberts was back at Wembley in 2016 and Halifax, who had just been relegated from the National League, shocked Grimsby 1-0 in the final.

Just seven days earlier Grimsby had clinched promotion to League Two by beating Forest Green Rovers 3-1 in the play-off final but Roberts helped deny the Mariners, with current Wrexham captain Shaun Pearson in the side, the double.

“We went into the game as underdogs after a really disappointing season,” added Roberts. “We got relegated so even though people were saying there is no pressure, inside there was because we had let everyone down.

“We thought it was a little bonus to repay the fans and it managed to work out that way. I thought we deserved it on the day and it is a great day out if it goes right.

“What Shaun Pearson says is that Grimsby were supposedly drinking all week after winning promotion but I am not too sure about that!”

n Former Wrexham trio Nick Rushton and Williams brothers, Mike and Marc, will be in Welsh Premier League action tonight as Newtown host Llandudno.