Llanelli 2 - 1 The New Saints
THE NEW Saints slipped to defeat in an ill-tempered encounter in front of a live television audience at Stebonheath Park last Saturday.
Last year's league runners-up, Llanelli, took the points after current champions, Saints, saw Tommy Holmes become the third player to be sent off in their last three games, with both Matty Williams and Chris Sharp receiving their marching orders in recent weeks.
And TNS suffered, despite Alex Darlington putting them back in the game, after Rhys Griffiths and Owain Warlow had given them a two-goal lead, losing their unbeaten start to the season in the defence of their title.
Saints started the game without top scorer, Sharp, who was sitting out the first of a two-game suspension after his dismissal against Bala, and Phil Baker's absence left manager Mike Davies with more decisions to make, giving a start to youngster Connell Rawlinson in the wake of the defender's eight-week lay off with a hamstring injury.
Unpunished
But Saints were incensed early on when Llanelli 'keeper, Craig Richards, went in chest high on Matty Williams only to go unpunished in a challenge which was lucky not to cause serious injury.
Llanelli took the lead just after the half hour when a Griffiths strike from the edge of the area beat Paul Harrison, but when another bad tackle, this time from Wyn Thomas, did nothing to attract the attention of referee Mark Whitby, a late lunge from Red's midfielder Chris Venables on Holmes finally saw passions spill over on 36 minutes.
The challenge sparked an ugly mass brawl as Holmes took exception to the tackle and the referee's indifference to the treatment being dished out by Llanelli players, with staff needing to help break up the melee before Holmes was sent down the tunnel, whilst Venables received a yellow card.
Llanelli rubbed salt into the wound just a minute later as Antonio Corbisiero placed a far post cross for Warlow to slot home, but a 41st minute goal from Darlington showed Saints intent as the young striker capitalised on a mistake by Thomas from a Barry Hogan pass.
Substitute, Matthew Berkeley almost found a second half leveller only to see his effort saved by Richards, but Saints' woes deepened when wingman Craig Jones hobbled off before the end as they failed to get back on level terms, capping a dismal afternoon for the Oswestry based side.