Saints halt Newtown's charge
TNS continued their fine run of form in the Welsh Premier as Newtown's seven-game winning streak came to a grinding halt.
But it took Saints an hour to break down the Robins' resistance before Steven Beck put them on the road to victory.
Forced to name four youth players on the bench, Ken McKenna's injury problems mounted mid-way through the first half when Chris King was carried off with a cheekbone injury.
Playing with a strong wind at their backs, frontmen Mike Wilde and Marc Lloyd-Williams had little to work with as they chased a succession of long balls that were overhit.
And when Saints did find the target, the Robins' experienced stand-in keeper Marty Ellacott was more than equal to the task.
Newtown's Danny Barton almost put his side ahead just before the break when a 25-yard free kick just went over the angle and within 10 minutes of the restart, Gareth Sudlow sent another free kick against a post.
Substitute Barry Hogan finally found a way through the defence with a superb crossfield ball that found Beck who cut into the box before hammering a shot from 16 yards.
Once ahead, the Saints' superior class and fitness began to take its toll on the plucky visitors.
The lively John Lawless fired the second past Ellacott with the help of a defender's deflection and Mike Wilde rounded off the scoring when he controlled the ball to beat his marker with a suspicion of handball before lobbing the keeper from 10 yards to ensure there was no way back for Roger Preece's men. |
