Cardiff City boss Lennie Lawrence is out to put right last year's "disgrace" when his side were sent tumbling out of the FAW Premier Cup on penalties by Newport County.

Lawrence said: "We are looking to put in a much better performance than last year because we were a disgrace. All credit to Newport, after all they mullered us and they did well when it mattered."

Lawrence is not expecting a repeat performance at Newport Stadium on Monday. He said: "I am not expecting us to lose to Newport.

"I was mightily unhappy to lose last year and I would be mightily unhappy to lose this year. "The squad will be largely the same (as last year) but the key is that they are a year older.

"They must realise that they have to shape up unless they want to finish up playing at places (non-league clubs) like Newport and Merthyr, so they have got to be up for it."

Some of the players who could feature include Newport lads James Collins and Byron Anthony who Lawrence says "have a definite case to be involved", but as yet no team has been picked.

Lawrence knows that County will be well up for the clash.

He said: "We know Newport done us last year and I know Peter Nicholas well.

"It is important for two reasons, it is a televised tournament and for them it's a big match. "It is a bit on an anomaly for us. We're in a no-win situation. If I sent out a strong team and if any of them got injured, I would be mortified. I took a hell of a lot of stick last year."

Lawrence admits that if the talks to bring a European reward at the end of the tournament, for instance an Inter-Toto Cup place, succeeded, his opinion on the Premier Cup would drastically chance.

"If there was a European spot, I would definitely look at it differently.

"It would be a different story but I don't know how that would work with Welsh teams in the English set up and so on.

"There is serious money in it and I would like to win it.

"I'm not having people near the first team in it but it's not like I'd rather be without it. I'm not one of those people who are glad to be out of the cup.

"But it is just another fixture on the calendar."

l Kick-off for Monday's big showdown at Spytty Park will be at 7.30pm.