Cwmbran are Lamb's to slaughter
A HAT-TRICK by striker Carl Lamb was the highlight as Saints completed a profitable three day trip down south with a 5-0 win against the relegation-haunted Crows.
TNS led 3-0 at the break, but it was something of a lop-sided score-line because Cwmbran could have themselves scored a trio of goals by that stage.
Striker Daynar Thorpe and fellow-marksman Sam Small were guilty of spurning gilt-edged chances, while Shane Dawe hit the base of a post with a fierce 25-yard free kick.
Instead, it was the Saints who went in with their tails up after Lamb's quick-fire treble. Scott Ruscoe provided for the first two, first with a right-wing cross which was flicked-on by Jamie Wood to leave Lamb with a shot from just inside the box which he hammered into the far corner.
Four minutes later, Ruscoe's ball into the box caused confusion in the home ranks and Lamb scored with his second attempt.
After a couple of scares at the other end, TNS were back on the attack with an Oscar Gonzalez shot blocked well by Gareth Wesson. But the keeper was beaten again on 35 minutes when Duane Courtney's cross was mis-kicked by a Town defender and Lamb was on hand to punish the Crows again.
Saints tightened up considerably at the back after the interval and never broke sweat in scoring a further couple of goals to confirm their status.
Lamb looked on course for his fourth of the night as he tried to round Wesson, but was forced to square across the box instead for John Leah to crash home in the 50th-minute.
The hosts had Gareth Mouncher red-carded two minutes later and the only question after that was just how many TNS would win by – or indeed how many they would want to win by.
In the end, they settled for 5-0, sub Michael Wilde latching on to Barry Hogan's superb long ball to hold off defenders and beat Wesson again.
Credit to the Crows because every man jack played his heart out, but the fact is they were not in the same league and indeed look almost certain to be playing in a different one next season. |
