| Finland and Lithuania for south Wales duo |
| Monday 21 June 2010 |
 PORT Talbot have been drawn against Finnish outfit TPS while Llanelli will face Tauras of Lithuania in the Europa League first qualifying round. The Steelmen's first European adventure starts against Turun Palloseura, who play in the 9,000-seater Veritas Stadium in Turku. It is 1975 since the club won the domestic title and they regained their place in the Finnish top flight in 2002 following relegation. They reached the final of the Finnish Cup in 2005, but lost to Haka - conquerors of Bangor City in the 1998/9 Cup Winners' Cup and also Rhyl in the 2007/8 Uefa Cup. There have been several other meetings between Finnish and Welsh clubs in Europe. In 2006/7, MyPa-47 beat TNS 2-0 on aggregate in the Champions League, while Tampere United were 8-1 aggregate winners over Carmarthen Town in the 2006/7 InterToto Cup. Rhyl lost to Haka on away goals in the following season's Uefa Cup, while Honka Espoo dumped Bangor out of the Europa League last season with a 3-0 aggregate win. Llanelli's opponents, FK Tauras, play in the city of Taurage in Lithuanian and become the fourth club from that country to play a team from the Welsh Premier. In 2005, Rhyl knocked Atlantas out of the Uefa Cup on away goals but then lost to Suduva of Marijampole the following season. Vetra won a thriller against Llanelli on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the 2007/8 InterToto Cup, while Suduva proved just too strong for TNS in the Uefa Cup the following year. |