LLANWERN hope to rekindle their promotion hopes tonight when they host Ely Rangers at Newport Stadium (kick-off 7pm) in their first home league match for over 10 weeks.

Postponements, away matches and cup runs has meant manager Laurence Owen's sixth-placed side has not appeared at the venue in a MacWhirter Welsh League Division Two match since the 1-1 draw against Ammanford on October 27.

Indeed the last time Llanwern played a league encounter was on November 3, when they drew 3-3 at Tredegar Town.

Last Saturday's Nathaniel League Cup quarter-final tie at Croesyceiliog was called off because of a waterlogged pitch, a scenario which adds to Llanwern's growing backlog of fixtures.

The Croesyceiliog cup tie will be played on Saturday, kick off 1.30pm, with Llanwern's scheduled league game at Pontyclun now postponed.

"The Croesyceiliog game being called off gives us a nightmare scenario with the backlog and we definitely wanted to play it," said Owen.

He only has midfielder Matthew Currie unavailable for the visit of Cardiff-based Ely, managed by Wayne Matthews who played eight times for Cwmbran Town in their inaugural League of Wales title-winning side in 1992-93.

"At last we've a home game and it's important we do well because we must win our matches in hand," added Owen.

Ely are two positions and six points better off - although Llanwern have played two matches less and victory for the Gwent side would take them above Barry Town into sixth.