Saints too sharp for the Old Gold
Tuesday 09 March 2010
CHRIS Sharp broke his duck with a brace as The New Saints won 2-1 at Carmarthen to stay hot on the heels of leaders Llanelli.
Sharp struck the winning goal eight minutes from time from Alex Darlington's inside pass to seal a deserved victory.
The former Bangor striker had scored his first goal in green and white three minutes after half-time after being fed by Craig Jones and firing a 15-yarder across keeper Neil Thomas and into the far corner off the inside of the post.
But the lead was quickly thrown away as keeper Paul Harrison failed to gather a long clearance from opposite number Thomas and allowed Tim Hicks the simplest of chances to equalise.
TNS could have taken an early lead when Jones got clear of Nathan Cotterrall but failed to beat Thomas in a one-on-one.
Steve Abbott also spurned a good chance when shooting wide while an overhead kick from Aeron Edwards missed at the far post.
Craig Hughes made a hash of Carmarthen's best chance of the first-half while Hicks put another effort onto the roof of the net.
Encouraged by their equaliser the Old Gold applied some sustained pressure with Danny Holmes clearing a shot off the line from Craig Hughes.
But, once in the lead the Saints closed the game out, and Carmarthen's woe was compounded in stoppage time when defender Neil Smothers was sent-off for retaliation on Holmes and manager Deryn Brace was also sent to the stands by referee Mark Whitby.
Photo: Players rush to congratulate Chris Sharp after scoring the winner.
Match report, photos and stats
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8 August 1996 / Qualifying Round 1st Leg (Wrexham)
TNS 1-1 KS Ruch Chorzow (Poland)
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Polonia Warsaw 4-0 TNS
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15 August 2002 / Qualifying round 1st leg (Lodz)
Amica Wronki (Poland) 5-0 TNS
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Osters IF (Sweden) 2-0 TNS
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TNS 1-2 Osters IF (Sweden)
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TNS 0-3 Liverpool
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MyPa-47 1-0 TNS
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TNS 0-1 MyPa-47
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17 Jul 2007 / 1st Qualifying Round 1st Leg (Newtown)
TNS 3-2 FK Ventspils
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FK Ventspils 2-1 TNS
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FK Suduva 1-0 TNS
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FRAM Reykjavik 2-1 TNS
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TNS 1-2 FRAM Reykjavik
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13 Jul 2010 / 2nd Qualifying Round 1st Leg (Dublin)
Bohemian 1-0 TNS
20 Jul 2010 / 2nd Qualifying Round 2nd Leg (Oswestry)
TNS 4-0 Bohemian
27 Jul 2010 / 3rd Qualifying Round 1st Leg (Wrexham)
TNS 1-3 Anderlecht
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CSKA Sofia 3-0 TNS
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TNS 2-2 CSKA Sofia
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30 Jun 2011 / 1st Qualifying Round 1st Leg (Oswestry)
TNS 1-1 Cliftonville
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14 Jul 2011 / 2nd Qualifying Round 1st Leg (Oswestry)
TNS 1-3 FC Midjtylland
21 Jul 2011 / 2nd Qualifying Round 2nd Leg (Herning)
FC Midtjylland 5-2 TNS