NORTH End kick off their first cup campaign of the season tonight, at home to second division Notts County.

Last season North End got past Scunthorpe, Macclesfield and Premiership Birmingham City before being hammered 5-0 by Aston Villa on the same night fans learnt star striker Ricardo Fuller would be out for the remainder of the season.

While Craig Brown would like nothing more than to take last year's cup run several stages further, he has made no bones about the fact the league is his priority.

One thing he won't want to repeat, however, is the performance his side displayed in the opening round at home to Scunthorpe last season.

North End only clinched that game in the dying minutes of extra time after being held to a draw at full time.

Brown still has injury worries over Paul McKenna and Dickson Etuhu, but one player who won't figure tonight is new Jamaican signing Claude Davis, whose residency permit has yet to arrive.