TONIGHT Swindon Town start a journey that offers their players arguably the easiest opportunity to reach Wembley in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, something Louis Thompson is desperate to do.

The JPT, often derided and certainly not a big draw, at least in the early rounds does present players in the lower leagues an opportunity to reach a final at the national stadium.

For Thompson and his fellow Town players, they know the path they have to take if they want to get there, having got so agonisingly close last season. But for a penalty shoot-out and a contentious unawarded penalty in the Southern Area Final second leg, Thompson and his teammates could have been looking for repeat glory in this season’s competition.

Instead, starting in South Wales tonight, they will be looking to right the wrongs of that narrow miss last term and reach Wembley, something the 19-year-old midfielder is evidently very keen to do.

“Everyone wants to play at Wembley, that’s every boys dream,” Thompson told the Advertiser.

“We want to do that, we’ll do everything in our power to get there and hopefully that starts with a win at Newport County.

“I think it could be a chance for everyone to get involved but I don’t think we see it as playing boys that aren’t involved.”

For the game Thompson may well be lining up alongside some less familiar faces. However that does not dim the confidence the Welsh youth international has in whoever plays to help the club take their first step to the HQ of English football.

“We‘ve got a very good squad, we’ll field a team that will go out there and win the game.

“I have every confidence whoever plays on Tuesday will do more than enough to enter us into the next round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.”