Back to winning ways
Although it was a 0-0 draw last time round – plus the point at Deeside Stadium was enough to secure the JD Cymru Premier title – nevertheless it was still good to get back to winning ways against Cardiff Met FC.
Not all habits in life are bad ones and winning football games is most definitely a good mindset to have. The mentality among the staff and players is such that they want to pick up three points in every league game that they compete in.
For anyone who thinks that now the league title has been won then the players will ease off, then nothing could be further from the truth.
The 7-1 scoreline tells you all that you need to know on that front.
Not the start that we wanted
With just four minutes on the clock, the visitors took the lead. As far as Craig Harrison and the players were concerned, that most definitely wasn’t in the script.
However, like life itself, it’s all about how you respond when things don’t go your way. That the team was back in the game just three minutes later, demonstrates the resolve and strength of character in the side.
Going on to to score another three in a twenty-minutes spell, the 4-1 scoreline at the break ensured that the game was effectively beyond the reach of the visitors.
The goals spread across the side
There were six different names on the scoresheet, and it’s a big positive that this is often the case in the scenario where multiple goals have been scored.
Goals can come from anywhere, talking of which we had a defender (Chris Marriott) and a midfielder (Danny Redmond) find the net, as well as the forward line (Adrian Cieslewicz, Gwion Dafydd, Josh Daniels, Declan McManus).
The last two were from substitutes, with Cieslewicz and Dafydd scoring in the 75th and 89th minute respectively.
Declan McManus, MOTM
Henstone Distillery again sponsored the Man Of The Match (MOTM) award and although there were a number of contenders, it was Declan McManus who was chosen.
Not just for the two goals and the assist but also for his overall contribution. Leading the line for The New Saints he kept the opposition defenders on their toes.
The award was presented by Josh Daniels, who with a goal and a couple of assists was also in the MOTM mix himself.
There’s still plenty to play for
Although the title has already been won, in reference to the earlier comment about not taking it easy, that is most definitely the case.
There are still targets to chase, and in Craig Harrison’s post-match club interview he spoke about the goals tally.
He made reference to his previous spell with The New Saints and in particular his last season (2016/2017), when the side scored 101 goals and how he wants to better that come the end of this campaign.
Staying with statistics, the club lost on three occasions and conceded 26 goals six years ago, compared to one and fourteen respectively so far this season.
Lead image courtesy of Brian Jones.
