CWMBRAN Celtic general secretary Malcolm Jarrett has billed tonight's Gwent Senior Cup game against Newport County (Cwmbran Stadium. KO 7.30pm) as the biggest competitive match in the club's history.

The MacWhirter Welsh League Division Two outfit were promoted last season on the back of a 29-match unbeaten run but lost 4-1 at home to Tredegar Town on Saturday so they will be looking to bounce back against County.

"It's a big challenge for the players," said Jarrett. "It depends what side they put out but we'll be looking to cause an upset.

"It's also an opportunity for us to make a little bit of money and we're hoping for some good local support."

Manager Micky Copeman said: "We were a bit disappointed that we couldn't play the game at Celtic Park because we feel playing it at Cwmbran Stadium on a bigger pitch may suit them better but we're all looking forward to it."

One player who misses out on the big occasion is goalkeeper Nicky Church who serves a ban after his sending off at the weekend.

Church's absence will mean a call-up for either reserves keeper James Cheshire or 17-year-old Tom Morgan from the under-19 side.