NEWPORT County chairman Chris Blight is expecting a week of finger- nail biting and sleepless nights, but he wouldn’t have it any other way, writes Michael Pearlman.

The chairman insists no-one connected with the club is getting carried away about playing in the FA Trophy final despite the Exiles taking a 3-1 aggregate lead into Saturday’s showdown in the capital.

"I don’t know whether to say the glass is half-empty or half-full, 3-1 is very much an advantage but we have another game next weekend and I expect to spend quite a lot of time this week worrying about that result," he said.

"Wealdstone showed they are capable, I take my hat off to them, they are a good side, they’ve got a home game to come and will know exactly what is at stake.

"I am really looking forward to it but we’ve got a mountain to climb yet to get where we want to be, which is Wembley Stadium.

"If we get through then obviously we can celebrate but until then it’s not done and dusted."

Blight confessed the financial incentives for reaching Wembley would help the Exiles significantly.

"The FA spoil is significant, you get £16,000 for reaching the final, £50,000 for winning it and £25,000 if you are beaten in the final, that would be a great assistance to us," he said.

"That’s obviously a significant sum of money and in a pretty difficult season where gates have been not far over a thousand and this will definitely help us."

Blight paid tribute to the Exiles’ legions of volunteers for their assistance in helping with the logistics of staging and attending two all-ticket affairs.

He said: "I take my hat off to everybody who has helped in the past couple of weeks to organise both this game and the return game, it’s been an amazing effort.

"It has required a huge deal of work in the office dealing with all the ticket sales, and everything on the day ran like clockwork around the ground and the fans turned up in their droves and that’s most welcome too.

"Our fans have sung their hearts out and it was a great day with hopefully another one to come."