Seven-up Saints signal title intentions
TNS showed they have no intention of throwing in the title towel after turning up the heat on the leaders with a seven-goal romp against lowly Llangefni.
Having lost two of their previous three league outings, the Saints steadied the ship in style at the end of a week that saw manager Ken McKenna announce he would be stepping down at the end of the season.
And the Saints boss, looking to sign off his 10-year reign at the club with a record-equalling fourth successive league crown, would have been happy with what he saw.
Newcomer Kevin Townson led the charge with four of the goals in this one-sided affair as the defending champions moved level with pace setters Llanelli, although the blitz was not quite enough to take them top on goal difference.
As for Llangefni, the Anglesey men now appear to be hurtling back to the Cymru Alliance after suffering their sixth straight defeat.
Townson was the chief beneficiary with his goal count at Park Hall, but the former Rochdale striker was provider early on, teeing up Paul Henry to make a 13th minute breakthrough from six yards.
Four minutes later, the high-flying hosts doubled the lead when Martyn Naylor’s right wing cross found Jamie Wood, who beat keeper Farai Jackson with a point blank header.
Llangefni were always at full stretch and, after several chances had gone begging, Townson opened his account on 40 minutes when Jackson could only parry Wood’s shot for a another close range goal.
A fourth goal arrived on the stroke of half-time when Scott Ruscoe’s long ranger appeared wide but was headed by Geraint Mitchell into his own net.
The visitors defended valiantly after the break but the Saints made it five on 68 minutes when Chris King’s shot was parried by Jackson for another simple scoring opportunity for Townson.
Carl Lamb nearly added the sixth with his first touch after coming off the bench, while keeper Jackson made a fine save to deny Steven Beck.
But Townson completed his hat-trick after good work from Tommy Holmes.
Then he added his fourth by running on to a through ball.
The Saints, however, would have been disappointed to concede a consolation goal in the last action of the game, from a Craig Hogg header. |
