NEW Saints manager Craig Harrison has challenged his players to break Ajax’s Guinness world record of 26 consecutive wins in all competitions on Friday.

TNS equalled the record with a 4-0 win over Cefn Druids on Boxing Day to make it 26 in a row, setting the stage for a potentially world record breaking night at the Rock on Friday.

Harrison insisted his squad would make the short trip to Cefn Mawr for the return fixture with his message it would be “business as usual” for his players.

“People ask me how I keep the players focused, but I tell them they’ve got to embrace it,” said Harrison. 

“Just as I and all the staff here all do, and Mike Harris our chairman,  surely the players want to be the squad that did it. What more motivation do they need other than to be the team to win 27 games consecutively.

“It’s a fantastic achievement, but as I’ve said 100 times, our eyes are on the prize at the end, which is the league.

“The record is a bonus. It’s creeping up on us though, but 26 wins in a row is an unbelievable achievement.”

Saints managing director Mike Harris praised the management and playing staff but insisted records were second to silverware with the club now just 15 points away from the title.

Harris said: “The players’ approach in training has been excellent. They each have their own targets and we are getting very good with the analytics.

“We’re not going to aim for that explicit target. If we achieve it, it will be a by-product of our work to go to the next level and to make sure we have success in the Welsh Premier.

“Our first goal has to be to make the title secure. That’s key. Then we can move on to what this club is really about and our target is to make the group stages of one of the European competitions.

Meanwhile Harris remained confident the club’s dominance of Welsh football and success in the Irn Bru Cup has underlined his belief the Saints could compete against English third tier clubs.

“We have come a long way in the past two or three years and there is more to come yet. I think the team we have now could hold their own in League One.”