Alfie Carter and Mike Wilde celebrate as Talbot keeper Kris Rogers contemplates his fate.
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Saints almost rue missed chances
SAINTS' boss Ken McKenna reckons the wide open spaces of Park Hall will witness some goal feasts, but his strikers will need some target practice to fulfil that prediction.
Despite creating a hatful of chances, TNS made very heavy weather of taking the spoils from Port Talbot and were almost left to rue their generosity.
Despite cruising into a two-goal lead within half an hour, TNS were pegged back by Chad Bond's goal on the stroke of half-time and were unable to apply the killer touch in the second-half.
A defensive error from the Steelmen led to the opening goal when an under-strength back header from a defender fell to Alfie Carter, who seized the chance to notch his sixth goal in four games.
Michael Wilde saw his effort a minute later balloon onto the roof of the net as keeper Kris Rogers got down well to block the shot but, after missing another opening Wilde got the second, ghosting past two defenders from Carter's pass to score.
Talbot made a good contribution to an entertaining game and got their reward when Bond latched on to a Martin Rose pass to plant the ball past keeper Paul Harrison.
Encouraged by the goal, the visitors had TNS on the back foot early in the second half, but Bond screwed a shot wide in an early attack while Lee Surman headed straight at Harrison from Lee John's free-kick.
Carter and Wilde were guilty of missing several good chances to make the game safe, while keeper Rogers did well to save from Wilde and Luke Holden.
And the misses could have proved costly in the final minute when the Steelmen almost snatched a point they barely deserved, Bond heading wide from in front of goal following a Kerry Morgan set-piece. |
