Two goals inside the opening 13 minutes put The New Saints on track for a routine win over Connah’s Quay as the defending champions reestablished their four point lead at the top of the JD Welsh Premier League.
Connah’s Quay never recovered from the two-goal deficit as The New Saints saw off a potential title challenger in convincing fashion.
Saints led as early as the second minute after Jamie Mullan tucked away the rebound after Greg Draper’s effort was saved.
A fine individual goal from Ryan Brobbel 11 minutes later left Connah’s Quay with a mountain to climb.
The Northern Irishman waltzed past a handful of Nomads defenders before sending a composed finish past John Danby.
The New Saints continued to probe with Draper having a third goal chalked off on the stroke of half time, but the hosts were rescued by the woodwork when Connah Quay’s Nathan Woofle rattled an attempt against the crossbar.
Saints defender Connall Rawlinson made a timely interception on his return to first-team action when he headed Matty Owen’s deflected shot off the goalline.
But that was as good as it got for the Nomads who were heading to their third away defeat of the season.
With the game opening up, Brobbel almost added a second but saw his shot come back of the upright.
Jon Routledge’s low finish late in the second half sealed the win.
“To score in two minutes and score soon after put our nerves at ease – it was a fantastic performance, one of our best of the season,” said TNS manager Scott Ruscoe following the match.
“We defended fantastic tonight and attacking-wise, we played some great stuff. Some of our one-touch interchange play was really good. We moved them about, they do tend to go man-to-man in certain areas of the pitch but we responded great – these are the standards we’ve got to keep going forward.”
DRUIDS UP TO FOURTH
Cefn Druids celebrated their return to league action for the first time in a month by coming back from a goal down to win at Prestatyn Town.
Prestatyn, looking to bounce back from Saturday’s 7-1 defeat to Aberystwyth, led when Zyacc Edwards fired home midway way through the first half but the Seasiders’ lead would remain intact for just five minutes.
Deputising Prestatyn goalkeeper Ryan Roberts fumbled allowing Jamie Davies to fire level.
Cefn Druids, who have their sights set on what seemed an improbable top-six finish in August, gained the ascendancy after the break and Ashley Ruane’s goal-bound shot was scrambled off the line by Ross Weaver.
The Druids’ hopes of a top-half finish then took another step to fruition when substitute Naim Arsan came off the bench to seal the Ancients an important three points, sending Huw Griffiths’ side to the dizzying heights of fourth in the table.
The Ancients in Europe anyone?
Tuesday’s results:
The New Saints 3 Connah’s Quay 0, Prestatyn 1 Cefn Druids 2
Wednesday
Llandudno v Cardiff Met (7.45)