January 2011

This sentiment is shared by Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale, who has led his side to the southern area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy - meaning the Grecians are just two games away from a weekend visit to the capital.

"There's no doubt that a visit to Wembley is a massive motivation for the players, it'd be a special day for the club and its fans if it happened," said Tisdale.

"It'd be a nice feeling to get there too, as having a good run in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy was a target that was set at the start of the season."

Tisdale is a stout advocate of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy's importance in the football calendar. He believes that the competition has served as a source of confidence whenever his side has struggled in a league fixture.

"The key to success at this level is confidence, as any team can beat another on their day.

"I've found that our performances in the trophy have helped us bounce back from a disappointing result in the league - so the whole team takes it very seriously."

Exeter City must travel to Griffin Park to face Brentford in the first leg of the southern area final on Monday January 17 - just three days after the clubs meet in League One.

Tisdale thinks both ties will be close encounters but believes that his team has the quality to punish their next opponents to book the club's place in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

"Both teams will be hungry to win in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, but I feel our extra preparation in training will serve us well.

"We're taking absolutely nothing for granted, this is a chance to achieve something special in the club's history and I'm making sure the team are ready to take it."

Johnstone’s. Bringing colour to the beautiful game.