Welsh Premier League

Bangor City 1-0 TNS

By David Figg

The NEW SAINTS' hopes of remaining unbeaten for the rest of the season after being crowned champions the previous Sunday were dashed as they slipped to an away defeat by old rivals Bangor City in front of the live S4C cameras at the VSM Stadium, Bangor on Saturday evening.

The first chance came Saints' way when debutant Chris Craven's cross was blocked and it arrived at Tom Holland's feet but he fired his right-foot shot on the turn from 15 yards wide of City keeper Matthew Hall's left hand angle with just 77 seconds on the watch.

Saints went close again in the third minute when Holland picked up a loose ball in midfield before sending a first time ball forward to Kauber, who found Draper but his effort from 12 yards was blocked with his right foot by keeper Matthew Hall.

City took the lead against the run of play on 10 minutes when Luke Wall's byeline cross found former Saints striker Alex Darlington, but he headed straight at Paul Harrison, only to square the rebound to Dean Rittenberg who tapped his low right foot shot from two yards out.

Saints went close to an equaliser in the 12th minute when along ball over the top down the right from inside his own half by Kauber saw Draper test Hall from 16 yards before Ebbe was also denied by the man-of-the-match moments later.

A good chance came Saints' way just into the 44th minute when Aeron Edwards's low forward ball eventually found Draper,w ho managed to get a shot off only for Hall to tip it onto the bar and the rebound hit Draper's legs.

The last chance of the half came City's way 10 seconds into the second minute of an originally indicated one minute of added time when Laurence Wilson's free kick from the right towards the far post found Joel Bembo-Leta, whose header from 13 yards was easily held by Harrison.

The visitors had an even better chance to equalise in the 67th minute when Holland's lay back from right to middle fell to Simon Spender, via Ryan Brobbel and Ben Clark, on the left, and first time cross from just outside the left hand corner of the box saw Ebbe's head and a stretching Draper just fail to make contact with the goal at their mercy, with the ball going agonisingly past Hall's left hand post.

Saints went close again just before the end of the 80th minute when Edwards' long diagonal ball over the top from middle to left from just inside his own half just by the centre spot found Spender who ran into the left hand corner of the box before seeing his low cross find the in-running Draper, who got ahead of Tom Kennedy but saw his right foot shot from seven yards superbly saved by Hall.

Saints continued to push for an equaliser but they were thwarted and not surprisingly, City keeper Hall was awarded S4C's Man of the Match for his string of good saves to keep Saints at bay.

Saints: Harrison, Spender, Rawlinson, Brobbel, Draper, Ebbe, Holland, Clark (Jones, c 89), Edwards, Kauber (Bower 88), Craven. Unused subs: Jones, A.