Ward's late goal beats battling Lido
SAINTS' lack of fire-power from the established strikers led Ken McKenna to add league record goal-scorer Marc Lloyd-Williams to his ranks.
But Wilde, Wood and substitute Lloyd-Williams all failed to find the target and it was Scott Ruscoe who broke the deadlock against a resolute Afan Lido defensive display.
Lido conceded a free kick in the 73rd minute and Ruscoe stepped up to curl his 25-yard shot past Brian Thomas.
The south Walians were hammered 5-0 on their last visit to Treflan and when Saints' skipper John Leah hit the foot of a post with a first-minute 30-yarder, a repeat looked on the cards.
If this had been a boxing match, the referee would have stopped the contest, but despite being outgunned by TNS for most of the match, the south Walians dug deep against an onslaught of attacks.
Lawless fired over, Wilde missed from Nicky Ward's cross and Ruscoe was just denied by a defender.
As the second half wore on, Lloyd-Williams came into the fray and immediately sent a snap shot over the bar.
Ruscoe's goal might have opened the flood gates, but far from dropping their heads, the visitors rallied and when Karl Reynolds cut in from the left four minutes later his shot seemed to beat goalkeeper Gerard Doherty at the near post via a defender's deflection.
Lively substitute Sacha Walters nearly put Lido in front with 10 minutes remaining.
But from the clearance, the Seasiders’ defence got in a tangle and Nicky Ward capped a superb display up-front by deservedly hammering the winner from the edge of the six yard box.
Ruscoe, Lloyd-Williams and Ward all went close to adding to Saints' lead in the closing minutes, but it was Walters who almost had the last word when he ran past defenders but pulled his shot wide of Doherty’s post. |
