Saints Remain Top, But Suffer First JD Cymru Premier Defeat Of The Season At Deeside

Match Report

Yellow cards: Routledge (33) Holland (44), Harrington (52), Redmond (82)
Subs: Clark for Holland (67), Cieslewicz for Ebbe (67), Draper for Smith (74)

Match report by Sam Wood

The New Saints suffered their first defeat of the JD Cymru Premier season, as Connah’s Quay Nomads earned a 2-0 victory at the Deeside Stadium.

After a closely matched first-half, with chances for both sides, it was two former TNS men, Aeron Edwards and Mike Wilde who proved to be the undoing, as they both found the net in the second-half.

The New Saints remain top of the table, albeit now just goal difference separates the two title rivals.

It so nearly the perfect start for Scott Ruscoe’s side, who could’ve found themselves a goal ahead with just 48 seconds played.

A mix-up at the back by the home defence allowed Dean Ebbe to nick the ball ahead of Callum Morris, which gave the Irish striker a 1v1 chance against Oliver Byrne. Ebbe went low with the effort, but the Nomads’ number 13 was equal to it and pulled off a smart save.

Again The Saints came forward, as they enjoyed the majority of the match in its opening stages, and Byrne was called into action once more, denying Leo Smith this time around after four minutes.

At the other end, Paul Harrison had his first involvement with seven minutes gone, as he got a strong hand behind a header from ex-Saints man, Mike Wilde.

There was no let-up, as chances continue to flow between the sides, and Ebbe flashed another close effort narrowly wide of the post in minute 16, before Harrison made a smart, diving save to tip Craig Curran’s driven strike around the post.

And with 33 minutes played, Connah’s Quay thought they’d scored the first goal of the match, courtesy of the dangerous Wilde.

After the number nine had met Aron Williams’ cross in the middle, the ball ended up in the back of the net, but the referee quickly brought play back as the Nomads’ man had used an arm to turn the ball home.

It was a quieter start to the second-period from both teams, although Louis Robles almost beat his defender at the front post to connect with Routledge’s inviting cross in the 53rd minute.

The opening goal of the game though, did eventually come in the 58th minute and it was former TNS man, Aeron Edwards who got it for the home team.

The Nomads’ number 23 rose well on the edge of the six-yard-box to meet Williams’ header and diverted the ball past Harrison to give his side the lead.

Pushing for an immediate response, Blaine Hudson saw a header cleared off the line by Mike Wilde with 63 played, but just a minute later, disaster struck, as Andy Morrison’s team doubled their advantage.

It was another dangerous cross from the right, met in the middle by Wilde this time around.

His headed effort struck the post and came back out, and it was unfortunate for Saints’ captain, Harrison, as the ball struck him on the back and went into the net.

Despite seeing all of the ball in the remaining 25 minutes, Scott Ruscoe’s side were unable to find a way through a determined Connah’s Quay defence, and fell to a 2-0 defeat – their first of the JD Cymru Premier so far this season.