ANDY MORRISON hopes this is the year Connah’s Quay Nomads end their bizarre - and unwanted - League Cup semi-final record.

Nomads will play their fifth successive last four tie in the competition, Morrison’s men losing 1-0 on each occasion, twice to The New Saints and once apiece at the hands of Denbigh Town and Cardiff Met.

“It’s five now,” said Morrison in relation to his side’s now customary semi-final spot.

“We absolutely battered Cardiff Met for 90 minutes and lost 1-0 on a deflected goal.

“If your name’s on the cup, then it’s on the cup and we will be happy to get to the final.

“We know we are in for a really tough game.”

Standing between Nomads and a first final appearance in the competition since 1996 - where they beat Ebbw Vale to lift the trophy - are rivals Bala Town.

Four of the last six meetings between the two teams in all competitions have been settled by a single goal, and Morrison, pictured, expects another hard fought encounter.

“The pitch is beginning to go a little bit and it’s going to be a battle,” said Morrison of tomorrow’s Deeside Stadium showdown. “The margins between us are always very thin, the games are always very close.

“We’ve been on the right end of that on a lot of occasions, we are now 18 domestic games unbeaten and our home form has been fabulous.”

Bala head into the clash on the back of three successive league wins, scoring 10 times without reply - and attacker Chris Venables is ready for what Nomads have to throw at him and his team-mates.

“We are racking up clean sheets and racking up wins,” said Venables. “It will be a completely different test, we are on grass, not the usual 3G, and we are at Connah’s Quay, which is notoriously difficult.

“It will pose a whole load of new problems, but ones we are looking forward to.”