CWMBRAN Town manager Sean Wharton wants his side to start tonight's crunch home clash against Porthmadog in the same way they finished off Monday's clash with Welsh Cup finalists Bangor City.

The Crows dominated the final 10 minutes against the Citizens, who had goalkeeper Adam Price and 'Lady Luck' to thank for holding onto their 2-1 advantage.

The reverse maintained the Gwent outfit's position in the Welsh Premier League's two-strong relegation zone with just three matches remaining - the visit of Porthmadog, Saturday's home game against fellow-strugglers NEWI Cefn Druids and the away encounter at Airbus UK on April 29.

"We finished the game against Bangor extremely well and I want us to start tonight's game in that vein," said Wharton.

"It's all about having belief in yourself, that's all I seem to be saying in our dressing room these days but it's true. "

The Crows have suffered following an early-season financial crisis and the very fact they're still in with an outside chance of avoiding the drop speaks volumes for Wharton and his squad - many of whom are playing at this level for the first time.

"If you'd offered me our current run of only three defeats in eight games some months ago, I'd certainly have taken it," continued Wharton, a member of the Crows' inaugural 1992-93 WPL title-winning side.

"Two of those have come in our last two matches and I honestly believe if we'd taken our goal-scoring opportunities in both of those, then we'd have picked up something.

"But it's not all down to my strikers entirely. My defenders have not scored enough goals at set-pieces while there haven't been enough from the midfield department either."

Wharton rested skillful winger Jamie Edwards to the bench against Bangor and could recall the former Newtown ace, probably at the expense of Geraint Goodridge.

Tenth-placed Porthmadog, who've won at Airbus and Bangor and drawn at second-placed Llanelli in their last three matches, have a fitness doubt over 16-goal top-scorer Carl Owen, who is nursing a foot injury.

- Tonight's game kicks off half an hour earlier than normal at 7.00pm.