Although they only secured a 1-0 victory against Barry Town United in their last league outing, it was another strong and controlled performance from The New Saints.
Craig Harrison’s side created a number of chances to increase their advantage, but a combination of solid defending and strong goalkeeping prevented the defending champions from making the scoreline even more convincing.
With results elsewhere going in their favour, and former TNS man Ryan Astles snatching a dramatic equaliser for Colwyn Bay against Connah’s Quay Nomads, the Saints also stretched their advantage at the top of the JD Cymru Premier table to eight points.
This weekend, it’s back to Park Hall for more league action, as the 17-time champions host Penybont in a first vs third clash in front of the S4C cameras.
Having met twice already this season, the sides already know lots about each other, but it was Harrison’s side who triumphed on both occasions during phase one. Back in August, The New Saints were 2-0 victors at the DragonBet Stadium, before securing an impressive 6-2 triumph in the reverse fixture at Park Hall in October.
At the time, Penybont were second in the table and looked poised to mount another title challenge, but the two sides have experienced contrasting fortunes since then, however. While The Saints have continued to set the pace, winning seven of their last nine league fixtures, today’s visitors have struggled to find consistency, securing just three victories since their previous visit to Oswestry.
As a result, the gap between the sides now sits at 17 points, highlighting the superb consistency and quality The New Saints have shown in recent months.
For Saturday’s fixture, The New Saints will be wearing their traditional home kit of green and white hooped shirts, with green shorts and socks. The visitors will take to the field in all-blue, while the goalkeepers will be in all-yellow and all-orange respectively.
Rob Jenkins has been appointed referee, with Lewiss Edwards and Ethan Goatley the two assistants. Iwan Griffith is the fourth official, while Huw Jones will act as referee observer.
Tickets can be purchased HERE and are priced at £11 for adults, £6 for concessions and £4 for U18s. To speed up entry into the stadium and prevent queuing on arrival, it’s strongly advised to purchase tickets online in advance.
If you’re unable to make it to Park Hall in person, you don’t have to miss out on the action, as the match will also be available to watch on Sgorio’s digital platforms. Kick-off is at 12:30pm.
