THE New Saints' director of football Mike Davies revealed his pride in his players despite a 5-2 defeat in Denmark.

"It was a great performance from us in the second half, Davies said.

"There is lots of quality in the Midtjylland side, but we came away with a lot of credit and our heads held high.

"The second half was about character, desire and the ability to stick together and we can be proud of what we have achieved.

"It has been great to progress in Europe again and we can take a lot of confidence into the Welsh Premier League season.

"We also have a great Shropshire Cup final to take part in with Telford on August 6 and the lads are hungry so hopefully we can have a successful year."

Midtjylland coach Glen Riddersholm also praised TNS for their resilience in avoiding a heavier defeat. "They came back at us well and showed they can play well as a unit," he commented.

"It was important for them to have a good attitude also because without it the game could have turned out like Bangor City against Helsinki, so all credit to them."

Photo: The New Saints pose for a squad shot outside Midtjylland's MCH Arena.