Six of the best, as The New Saints make it 15 wins in a row at Cyncoed Campus

Match Report

Goals: Wilson (4, 33, 52), Oteh (50), Clarke (66), Phillips (79)
Substitutions: Baker for Pask (46), Doforo for Redmond (59), Clarke for J. Williams (59), Bradley for D. Williams (59), Phillips for Oteh (74)

Match report by Sam Wood
Lead image: Lewis Mitchell/FAW

The New Saints defeated Cardiff Met University 6-0 at Cyncoed Campus to make it 15 consecutive wins in all competitions.

Craig Harrison’s side opened the scoring with just four minutes played and maintained a firm grip on proceedings throughout the contest.

A hat-trick from Adam Wilson was undoubtedly the highlight in the capital, with Zack Clarke and Louis Phillips both scoring their first JD Cymru Premier goals.

The Saints wasted no time in making the breakthrough, as they scored the opening goal of the game with just four minutes on the clock.

A well-worked team move started by Connor Roberts, the ball went from back to front with just four passes, before Adam Wilson fired home from the edge of the six-yard box.

Things almost got better for the champions in the ninth minute when Jack Bodenham put the goalkeeper under pressure, but Josh Pask’s eventual effort was cleared off the line by Archers defender Joel Edwards.

With 14 minutes gone, the hosts had their first chance of the game, but after getting on the end of Matthew Chubb’s over-the-top ball, Sam Jones couldn’t hit the target with his effort.

After scoring the opening goal, Wilson continued to look lively, and in the 33rd minute, he scored his second of the afternoon.

Cutting inside from the right after collecting the ball from Clark, the on-loan Bradford City man picked out the top corner with a superb left-footed curling effort to give his side a 2-0 lead.

The Saints were almost gifted a third goal just before the interval following a mistake by Kelland Absalom.

After the Archers’ goalkeeper passed the ball straight to Aramide Oteh, the striker beat him with a chipped effort from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball came back out off the far post and was scrambled clear.

There was no denying Oteh five minutes after the restart though, as he took advantage of another mistake at the back to score his 13th league goal of the season.

Dispossessing Gruffudd Morgan inside the penalty area, the former Walsall man rounded Absalom, before sending a side-footed finish into the back of the empty net.

Just two minutes later, Craig Harrison’s side were on target again, and it was Wilson who added to his terrific performance by completing his hat-trick.

Driving into the box from the right, the number 28 beat the goalkeeper at the near post from a tight angle to earn the match ball for the second time in his TNS career.

In the 66th minute, two of The Saints’ second-half substitutes combined to score their side’s fifth of the afternoon.

It was Zack Clarke who raced onto Sion Bradley’s searching forward pass, before slotting a composed finish beneath the outrushing goalkeeper.

Twelve minutes from time, it was another substitute who got in on the act to increase the JD Cymru Premier champions’ advantage.

After Bradley’s initial effort was parried by the goalkeeper, Louis Phillips was on hand to fire home at the first time of asking to score his first in a green and white shirt.

That proved to be that as far as the scoring was concerned, and 6-0 is how it ended at Cyncoed Campus.

The New Saints are back in South Wales next Saturday (March 29th), as they take on Penybont at in a top-of-the-table clash. Kick-off at the SDM Glass Stadium is scheduled for 2:30pm.