PROUD coach Terry Yorath reckons winning promotion with Town in his home city stadium on Monday would rank among the highlights of his distinguished career.

There's little in football the 54-year-old Welsh legend hasn't achieved, but to see Peter Jackson's young side triumph in the land of his fathers would be particularly poignant for Yorath.

He is in typically pugnacious mood as the play-off final against Mansfield approaches with Town boasting a fully-fit squad, a fleet of 40 coaches already booked for fans and more than 20,500 ticket sales for the Millennium Stadium.

"Like any coach, I want the lads to play well and, at this stage in their learning curve, I think winning would be an extra boost for everybody," he said.

"It would lift the team, the commercial staff and the office staff, who have all worked tremendously hard this season and, not least, it would lift the supporters who have seen their club go down the nick over the past few years.

"The progress of the young players has been a big factor in everything we've done.

"We were lucky at the outset in that the players we picked on to sign were all good honest pros who have got on well together and looked after each other - always the sign of a successful team - and then we've had young lads coming in and taking it all in their stride.

"After Steady there's been Holdsworth and Lloyd, Mirfin, Clarke, Worthington - the list goes on - and they've all done really well. You only have to look at McAliskey. He is nowhere near the finished article, but he's come in and taken it all in his stride.

"They have all been outstanding and, if anything has come out of the disappointments of the last few weeks, I think it might be that you've got to be up for the game, approach it in the right way and be confident - all things which will have to be there on Monday."

Yorath believes Town deserved to win automatic promotion but is delighted the players he has helped mould into a close-knit squad can now achieve Division II status with silverware to boot.

"Having failed to perform against Mansfield at home and then gaining only a point at Cheltenham, I think the Lincoln games have been a turning point for us - especially the second half at the McAlpine," said Yorath.

"The first half last week was dire, and the players knew it, but in the second half we took Lincoln apart. Our younger players stepped forward and were there to be counted and I think that will stand them in good stead for Monday.

"They should certainly take heart from it and be inspired by the surroundings at the Millennium Stadium.

"Being from Cardiff I'm very proud of the place. It's right in the city centre by the castle and the River Taff and it's wonderful, awesome."

After two heavy days of training, Town's players were resting today before detailed planning starts tomorrow, when Andy Booth (knee) is expected back on duty after treatment.

"Training between now and Monday will be light and enjoyable and we are not going to overburden them with tactics," added Yorath.

"We want our young boys going into the game reflecting on all the good things they did against Lincoln the other night, thinking about where we have been all season and then asking themselves how far can we go?

"I'm really looking forward to it and I said to Peter about two months ago, if we get promotion this season it will be right up there with the very best things I've done in my career."