RHYL director of football Eddie Maurice-Jones is relishing the prospect of coming up against Connah’s Quay Nomads manager Andy Morrison when the two sides square off in the Nathaniel MG Cup next weekend.

The Lilywhites booked their place in the second round stage with a comfortable win against Buckley Town, leaving them with the task of trying to take down a Nomads’ squad that has hit national headlines already this season thanks to a stunning Europa League qualifying round victory at Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock.

Maurice-Jones was pleased with the effort shown by his side during their return to competitive action, with Dan Sullivan and Asa Hamilton coming in for special praise thanks to their outstanding performances.

He said: “It was a really solid performance in a game that was full of energy and played at a high tempo. We defended in units were hard to break down so overall it was a great effort.

“Danny is a great player and I know what qualities he has. It was a shame to lose him mid-season but he has worked hard and wants to prove people wrong, which says a lot about his character as it is easy for people to give in especially at a big club like Rhyl.

“The players are setting the bar for each other, they work as a team and are so close as a group.

“Asa is trouble and really frustrating to play against. He doesn’t give defenders a second which is what we need and missed really badly last season. That’s why we got Asa in early doors – we know what he can bring and with talented players around him he can go up another level.”

Maurice-Jones is expecting a tough test against the Nomads and heaped praise on their boss, who has masterminded a host if exceptional results since taking over at the helm.

“Nomads are one of the best teams around and for me Andy is the best manager around,” he added.

“He respects every team they come up against and his attention to detail is so impressive, so it is a big challenge for us. I do believe we can cause any team problems, but we have got to be on it in every area or they will exploit weaknesses.”