Just the one super strike that separated the sides
Going into the game with a two-goal deficit from the first leg, the players knew what they had to do. With the deadlock still unbroken at the break, they were very much still in the tie.
The first goal was always going to be crucial and sadly, for The New Saints, it fell to the home team. It was also a tremendous strike from the FC Copenhagen number ten, Zeca, that in the end proved to be all that separated the sides come the final whistle.
Not the result that we wanted but a good performance
Of course it’s ultimately about the result but then you have to look at the performance. Against a team with a massive budget compared to The New Saints, the players did well. They didn’t look out of place, they battled hard and still played the passing game that has become synonymous with TNS FC.
There were plenty of positives to take from the game and in spite of the 1-0 defeat, when you look at the big picture, Scott Ruscoe will have lots to be encouraged about.
Paul Harrison
Although he had no chance with the goal – it was one of those strikes that was goal-bound regardless of who was between the sticks – our captain put in another solid personal performance. One save in particular, in the first half, saw FC Copenhagen fans with their heads in the hands.
They were thinking, how did he miss that? However, for those of us associated with TNS FC, our thoughts were more along the lines of, that’s H!
Blaine Hudson
It was good to see Blaine play his first competitive football of the season, coming on as a second-half substitute for Chris Marriott. The influential central defender has become an integral part of the TNS FC defence since signing for the club.
On a night of disappointment, as far as the result is concerned at least, the return of Hudson is a real positive.
Heads held high and we go again
The team spirit is good and although we exit the Champions League, we now drop into the second UEFA club competition, the Europa League.
We now know our opponent, following Ludogorets’ 5-1 aggregate victory against Valur from Iceland. With the first leg away from home, it’s a quick turn around, as we look ahead to the game in Bulgaria next Thursday (August 8).
Lead image: Blaine Hudson makes his comeback, courtesy of Brian Jones.
