Denbigh Town turn their attentions to the Welsh Cup Round 1 on Saturday evening as new manager Eddie Maurice-Jones prepares his side to take on Trearddur Bay live on Cymru Football TV (7:45pm).

It has been a tough start to the season for the Central Park club, but Maurice-Jones marked his appointment with an impressive 5-2 win over Bala Town on Friday night, and believes his side are ready to turn the corner following what was just their second win of the campaign in the Novira Cymru North.

“It was an outstanding performance,” explained Maurice-Jones to FAW.cymru this week. “It wouldn’t have really mattered if we just got the win through a bit of luck, but we knew we had that performance in us. Bala have signed unbelievably in the summer and they’re the favourites for the league, and the pressure was on them.

“Credit goes to the players in that they bought into all the information we gave them in such a short space of time and delivered. That just goes to show what type of players we’ve got here. It was a great performance, and we have set a bar now that we’ve got to go and deliver every week, which is going to be the challenge.”

This is Maurice-Jones’ third spell with Denbigh Town. Previously assistant manager in 2013/14, he returned to take charge of the side in November 2016 and remained in place for the next two years. He then returned to the club as assistant to Dewi Llion in January this year.

However, Llion decided to step down earlier this month after eight years in charge. He was the longest-serving manager in the club’s history, and his successor paid tribute to what he achieved during that time. “He’s done fantastic,” Maurice-Jones explained.

Llion had the longest managerial reign in the Novira Cymru North at the time of his departure

“He’s built the foundations year on year, bringing in the right players, good quality players that are right for the club. He’s got a skill set that not many managers have at this level to be able to get their values and philosophy across to the players. He’s certainly set it up for myself to take it on.

“The squad is packed with quality, really good, honest lads, and it’s a privilege to work with them week in, week out. I’m sure that the further we go down the line we’ll improve. In fact, I think we’ll improve a lot. Obviously, the relationships will get stronger and hopefully we can turn the slow start into something positive in the coming months.”

Ffranc Vaughan-Evans celebrates one of his two goals in the 5-2 win over Bala Town last weekend: Lisi Jones — Ffranc Vaughan-Evans celebrates one of his two goals in the 5-2 win over Bala Town last weekend

Trearddur Bay currently compete in the Lock Stock Ardal North West, the third tier of the domestic game, and are undefeated in all competitions this season. In the Welsh Cup qualifying rounds, they claimed a 6-0 win away to Llandrindod Wells before registering a convincing 8-1 victory over Connah’s Quay Town.

Both teams have enjoyed relative success in the competition in recent years. In 2024/25, Denbigh Town reached the quarter-finals but missed out on a place in the last four with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Llanelli Town. Likewise, Trearddur Bay also made it through to the quarter-final last season but were eliminated 3-0 by eventual Welsh Cup finalists Flint Town United.

“I think it’s going to be a difficult game,” said Maurice-Jones. “We won’t take it lightly. The Welsh Cup is the highest profile competition in Welsh football. It’s a prestigious cup that everyone wants to be a part of and it’s a great experience for the players to go and play these different teams.

“Trearddur Bay are going to be full of confidence. They’ve scored a bag full of goals already, they’ve signed really well and they’ve got some really good experience with some good young talent coming through as well. So, it will be a different type of game for us, and it will be difficult.”

Extensive ground improvements at Central Park were rewarded in the summer as the club hosted four fixtures at the UEFA U19 EURO Finals, including the semi-final match between eventual champions Spain and Croatia. The investment has provided Central Park with one of the best facilities in the domestic game.

Extensive improvements have taken place at Central Park recently

“When I first went in as manager (in 2016), one of the first things the chairman and the committee did was sit me down and show me a portfolio of their 10-year plan,” he added. “Coming back now, they’ve done everything and more to the letter. That’s really rewarding for them.

“We’ve now got to match that level of ambition and potential on the pitch, but it’s just fantastic what they’ve done. It’s one of the best stadiums in Welsh football, and certainly at our level. Hopefully more facilities like this will help develop Welsh football and produce better Welsh players that can reach the highest level.”

The match against Trearddur Bay will be streamed for free on Cymru Football TV, enabling a wider audience to appreciate the improvements that have taken place at Denbigh Town both on and off the field. “It’s something new,” said Maurice-Jones.

“It’ll be something for the guys to relish and hopefully they can step up to the table and put in a performance that we can be proud of. It’s also a great opportunity to showcase the ground, the facilities, and what we’ve got here. Hopefully we can put a performance together on the night and get a result.”

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A new era at Denbigh Town as Maurice-Jones targets Welsh Cup success