AT any other club, I dare say fans would already been planning their routes to Wembley and ensuring they don’t double-book themselves for the FA Trophy final on May 12.

Because at any other club a 3-1 aggregate advantage over a side 41 positions below you in the football pyramid is more than enough to make you breathe easy and expect a good job well done to be completed without drama.

But not with the County. No sooner had the final whistle blown on Saturday than several fans were warning me that the tie was far from over, a place at Wembley not even close to being guaranteed.

And I fully agree with that statement too. And the fact is County must get to Wembley now. Failure to do so will mean an almighty set back in terms of generating interest and momentum for next season.

The Exiles were, in this columnists opinion, lucky to win by a two-goal margin on Saturday and a similar performance in the return leg might well give the Stones the platform to get right back into the tie.

Certainly if you were a Wealdstone supporter or player you would still be full of belief, especially the way Newport have played away from home at times this season.

Are Wealdstone much worse than Alfreton or Bath who both humbled the Exiles on their own patch? I would argue no.

Dare we have nightmarish flashbacks to the last time County travelled confidently in the semi-final of the FA Trophy at Brentford, who they’d already stuck five past in the league, at Griffin Park? The score that day? Brentford 6 Newport County 0.

But that’s more than enough doom and gloom with such a glorious opportunity awaiting the Exiles. There is a palpable buzz of excitement at Newport Stadium and it is absolutely vital to capitalise on it.

There is a superb chance that several of the youngsters in the city who have never been to a County game and whose heroes are more likely to be Wayne Rooney or Luis Suarez (perish the thought) than Sam Foley or Gary Warren will make the trip to Wembley.

This is the perfect opportunity for the Exiles to vastly increase their number of interested fair weather fans who were last seen when County were promoted from the Conference South.

Do you think Swansea were getting 25,000 fans when they were in League Two? Not on your life.

Success breeds interest and revenue and after a season where County’s crowds have been far lower than expected, that’s exactly the shot in the arm the club needs.

It also shouldn’t be forgotten what County are playing for.

As the great Bill Nicholson once said, glory is in the winning and the chance to compete for silverware at Wembley Stadium is not a birth right. Several tremendous players never, ever played at Wembley and that provides extra food for thought.

Some, if not all, of my greatest moments as a football fan came under the Twin Towers, or big arch as it is now, and it would be truly wonderful for Exiles fans to experience that walk down Wembley Way, there really is nothing like it.

In order to get there, Newport must be professional to a tee on Saturday and use their greatest asset over the Stones which would appear to be stamina.

The visitors noticeably dropped off in the final exchanges on Saturday and as a part-time outfit that isn’t especially surprising. Ditto Northwich in the quarter-final.

One thing that I don’t expect to be a problem whatsoever is the atmosphere with Newport sending an army of 675 fans to London. If anything, it will be Wealdstone who are likely to find the pressure-cooker atmosphere harder to bear, it is more alien to them.

The hosts will start fast and push hard for parity and the likes of Glyn Thompson, Gary Warren and David Pipe need to be at their best and stand up strong to any early onslaught.

This is the biggest game Newport have participated in since I don’t even know when and the rewards both financially and in terms of raising the profile of the club are obvious. A few weeks ago most County fans would have happily sacrificed the cup competitions for maintaining their Conference status, but not anymore.

We are so, so close now that it simply has to be both. And if the County can keep their discipline and play even close to their full potential, it will be.

Up the Port.