The FA Trophy – the most treasured prize in non-League football – went to Shrewsbury Town as final preparations were made for the big local derby tomorrow.

At stake is a place in the semi-finals – and the chance to run out at Villa Park in the showpiece finale to the non-League season on Sunday, 23rd May.

Shrewsbury’s manager Jimmy Quinn and Telford’s coach David Preece came together at Gay Meadow to get their hands on the magnificent silverware.

The rival sides were due to have faced each other in the Conference at Telford United on Saturday – but come 12 noon tomorrow, all thoughts will be on The FA Trophy.

Whilst this is Shrewsbury Town’s first season in The FA Trophy, Telford United have an enviable record in the competition stretching back to the first ever final in 1970.

Quinn, however, is no stranger to the competition and got as far as the quarter-finals two seasons ago as manager of Northwich Victoria, beaten by eventual winners Yeovil Town.

He said: "There has been a huge build-up to the game, but talk is cheap. It’s what happens on the day that matters. There will be a lot of passion and pride at stake and both sets of fans will be willing their team to win.

"We played each other earlier in the season – it was a tight affair and I would not expect it to be any different on Saturday.

"These local derbies are not games you can predict. It all comes down to what happens on the day."

Having got to the semi-finals of The FA Cup as a player with West Ham United, Quinn would love to get that far in The FA Trophy – and beyond.

He said: "With the club having come out of the League last year, if we were lucky enough to win The FA Trophy it would be a fantastic season.

"Winning games breeds confidence. The further we get, the more excited everybody gets and the more money the club gets.

"If we win this tie and get through the two-legged semi-finals, we will have a good chance of winning it."

After finishing runners-up to Macclesfield Town in 1970, Telford United bounced back to win The FA Trophy the following season, beating Hillingdon Borough in front of 29,500 at Wembley.

They went on to win it again in 1983 and 1989, as well as finishing runners-up in 1988.

Preece said: "With our supporters, there is a lot of expectancy, but for me and the manager Mick Jones it’s another big game we would like to win. The Final is at Villa Park and that’s an incentive in itself. Financially, it would be great for the club as well."

Telford United came back from the disappointment of being knocked out of The FA Cup to secure their place in the final eight of this season’s competition with a win over Margate.

Preece is hoping that the consistent performances they have shown in both The FA Cup and The FA Trophy this season will be repeated on the pitch tomorrow.

Preece said: "It’s a big, big game – a great local derby for the fans and for the clubs.

"We got a point down here earlier in the season and felt it was like winning for us. It will be very tough coming here on Saturday. They are seven or eight places above us in the league and are probably strong favourites to win the game."

He added: "We have had good performances and good results against teams from higher leagues and from lower leagues and we are hoping for a good one on Saturday and to be in the semi-finals come 2 p.m."