COUNTY V WEALDSTONE (FA Trophy semi-final, today, KO 3pm)

NEWPORT County skipper Gary Warren is desperate for the chance to lead his side out at Wembley but is wary the Exiles’ issues with referees could lead to their downfall.

The Exiles are 180 minutes from reaching the final of the FA Trophy which would give them a first ever trip to Wembley on May 12.

Form under manager Justin Edinburgh has been much improved but Newport have had nine players sent off this season.

Five of those dismissals have come in the last three months and on Tuesday it was especially costly, Lee Minshull’s eighth-minute red card contributing to the Exiles losing 4-3 at home to Braintree.

Warren was one of a number of players to show his support for Minshull, as did manager Edinburgh, but the skipper admits all the players are concerned that they must ensure they keep 11 men on the field.

“We won’t get this opportunity again possibly and we don’t want to let anyone down,” he said.

“It’s vitally important we keep 11 men on the pitch. We haven’t been lucky with decisions going our way, sometimes you need a little bit of help and we don’t feel like we are getting that.

“We need to take the decisions out of referees’ hands by keeping our heads.”

Warren isn’t underestimating the opponents from the Ryman Premier.

The Stones have already beaten Conference sides Barrow and Cambridge United in this run and only last season took Newport to a replay and extra time in the same competition before losing narrowly 1-0.

He explained: “The draw has been very kind but you have to beat the teams in front of you and sometimes it is more difficult playing the sides beneath you.

“We can’t be complacent, we need to be as professional as we possibly can.

“They’ll want it just as much as us, desire will be there for both sides so it’s important to cope with the quality and show we can deal with the pressure.

“We want to give ourselves a big advantage at home. We can’t get complacent and it will be a tough two legs.

“We had the experience against Northwich Victoria (in the previous round, County 2-0 down before winning 3-2) and hopefully that was the wake-up call we needed about how dangerous cup opponents from lower down can be.

“It’s down to us to show the extra quality.

“We played Wealdstone last season and took it all the way to extra time in a replay; it’s certainly not going to be an easy game.”

Warren is aware of the potential honour awaiting him.

“This is a massive opportunity for the club and one that we may as players never get again in our careers,” he said.

“We have done everything right in terms of the preparation, but now we have to get it right on the pitch.

“We will give ourselves every chance of getting to the final if we are at our best.

“The manager has been stressing that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if you look around our squad I don’t think there are too many players who have gone to Wembley.

“You always dream of playing at the greatest stadiums around the world and as a player that’s something you carry through from being a youngster.

“Speaking personally, as captain, it would be a dream come true and the prospect of leading out the boys at Wembley in front of maybe 15,000 Newport fans would be phenomenal. We need to go all guns blazing to get through.”