Wilde brings festive cheer to Treflan
TNS ended the year in festive mood after securing three more points to maintain their lead at the top of the Welsh Premier.
But Christmas arrived late at Treflan, with a depleted Welshpool Town holding out for 85 minutes before finally succumbing to the Saints' pressure.
Missing influential midfielder Ricky Evans, defender Michael Jackson and forward Gary Roberts through suspension, the Lilywhites defended stubbornly.
Well-marshalled at the back by Dave Norman and Dave Cunnah, it looked as though they had held out for a point, until John Lawless finally produced a delivery to match his clever footwork down the left hand side.
His cross found Michael Wilde in space and he headed past Grant Dawson to give TNS the win their pressure and patience had deserved.
Saints again attacked from start to finish without finding their goal touch, although an early Pool free-kick from Steve Rogers took a wicked deflection that almost caught Gerard Doherty flat-footed.
Wilde and Marc Lloyd-Williams both headed over from crosses, with John Toner and Lawless unable to find the target with long range efforts.
Dawson saved from Toner before Lloyd-Williams spurned his best chance of the match, seizing on a mistake by Norman only to fire straight at the keeper.
Steve Evans joined up with the attack to just miss at the far post from a Scott Ruscoe free-kick before a superb move involving Ruscoe and Wilde gave Toner the chance to net, but from an offside position.
The only second-half threat posed by the visitors came when Norman sent a 25-yard free kick on target, but Doherty was more than equal to the task, before Wilde's third goal in three games maintained Saints' momentum at the top. |
