NEWPORT County AFC manager Justin Edinburgh will tell his players to go out and make history in the Blue Square Bet Premier play-offs.

County travel to Grimsby Town today ahead of tomorrow night’s semi-final first leg at Blundell Park before the return at Rodney Parade on Sunday afternoon.

And Edinburgh is convinced that the current squad can end a 25-year exile from the Football League.

"This is the biggest game of the season so far and it’s what I’m in it for," said the Exiles boss.

"We’ve transformed this football club in a very short space of time and I’m very proud of that.

"The players have been fantastic, as have the staff and the supporters, and I suppose this game and the one after it are pivotal in the club’s history.

"This club has been out of the Football League for a long time and the players realise that they can go down in history.

"They know that they will be forever remembered as the team that took this club back into the Football League.

"Those are memories that can’t be taken away from you and that’s why I want to be a part of this and there would be nothing better than to do that as a manager.

"We’ve over-achieved," he added. "We’ve traveled very quickly in a short space of time and maybe they’ve had a longer time building the squad at Grimsby but I don’t think that matters. Now we’re in it we want to win it.

“They are two cup games now and it’s about who handles the pressure the best.”

Tomorrow night’s match is a rapid repeat of Saturday’s clash between the same sides at the same venue.

The Mariners completed their regular season with a 3-0 win over a weakened County side but Edinburgh says that tomorrow night will be different.

“It’s going to be cagey because I don’t think either team showed their hand on Saturday,” he said.

“It’s going to be a tough game. They’ve got a good home record but we’ve traveled very well this season and I expect a good contest between two teams who are separated by a cigarette paper in terms of the league table.

“I think the emphasis will be on Grimsby at home with the crowd behind them so at the start there will be a bit of caution from us.

“But we will look to impose ourselves on Grimsby as the game goes on and as we have done all season away from home.

“We want to make sure we’re still in the tie ahead of Sunday and what will be a great occasion at Rodney Parade but we’ll be setting ourselves up to win the game.”

Edinburgh has a fully fit squad to pick from, apart from long-term injury victim Max Porter, and is likely to make up to eight changes from Saturday’s defeat.

Lenny Pidgeley, David Pipe, Andy Sandell, Ismail Yakubu, Lee Minshull, Aaron O’Connor and Christian Jolley should all return and Danny Crow is also in contention to start.