STRIKES from Matthew Berkeley and Scott Ruscoe ended The New Saints’ long wait for a goal at Newtown after coming away with goalless draws from their last two visits.
The hoodoo was broken on Saturday afternoon however as TNS maintained their title challenge with a convincing display at Latham Park to pile the pressure onto league leaders Llanelli.
And with The Reds’ game controversially called off due to the weather conditions, The Saints cut the gap at the top to just one point with two first half goals that enabled them to see out a comfortable win.
Things might have been very different for the home side, who could have taken the lead within the first ten minutes when Jamie Breeze was sent through by an instinctive through ball from Andrew Thomas. But Paul Harrison was alert in the TNS goal, making an easy save from a disappointing effort by the Newtown striker.
The miss proved costly as The Saints put themselves in front on 13 minutes when a fantastic cross field ball from recent signing Chris Sharp found Tommy Holmes on the left hand side.
Holmes took the ball to the edge of the area before playing the ball across goal, Berkeley smashing home the opener from six yards out after he had done well to get beyond his marker.
Robbed
Newtown should have been level in the 19th minute when Paul Roberts rose to meet Breeze’s ball in, but his header went wide of the post to the disappointment of the home support.
Defender Dylan Blain was fortunate not to concede a penalty when he appeared to handle the ball as it came in from a free kick on the right hand side, but referee Mark Whitby waving play on as TNS appeals fell on deaf ears.
However, the second goal came just after the half hour mark when Craig Jones robbed Jack Hughes on the half way line, and after making ground down the right hand side, eventually managed to pick out Ruscoe who slammed the ball home to give The Saints a two goal cushion.
It was more of the same from the visitors in the second period when Steve Evans’ header called Robins ’keeper Dave Roberts into action from Ruscoe’s cross.
But Newtown did have the chance to put themselves back in it when Neil Mitchell turned his man before pulling the trigger on a shot that went narrowly wide of Harrison’s left hand post.
Neither side could manage to add to the scoreline as The New Saints closed out the game to come away with the points, the win confirming their return to winning ways, having taken a full quota of six points since their surprise defeat at Connah’s Quay just over a fortnight ago.
The Saints travel to Broughton on Wednesday night to face Airbus UK, having lost their last two outings at the Airfield. But they will be keen to make it three in a row since their loss by The Nomads, with a Welsh Cup quarter final at home to Port Talbot Town awaiting them over the weekend.