The New Saints boss Scott Ruscoe is backing his champions-elect to use the disappointment of Friday’s draw with Connah’s Quay to take a giant leap towards the Welsh Premier League.

Nomads held TNS to a 2-2 draw but Bangor City come to Park Hall this Friday night, with both sides 12 points behind Ruscoe’s men.

The TNS boss knows a tough battle is coming but expects his players to be ready for when it arrives.

“Bangor is going to be a key game - a tough game,” he told TNS TV.

“It’s not long since we had them at Park Hall two weeks ago in a decent clash which we won with a late winner.

“They’re going to be up for it and pushing us all the way. But hopefully we’ll have a good week in training which will get the lads spirits up.

“We’re looking forward to Friday’s game.”

Ruscoe’s side led twice on Friday but were pegged back both times by Nomads, who maintain faint hopes of winning the league.

The TNS boss admitted he was disappointed by his side's performance, believing it wasn't up to normal standards he has come to expect of them.

However, he accepted it was another point towards sealing another title.

He added: “It was a disappointing result in the end. If you go a goal up, then 2-1 up before conceding a minute later then you’re a bit frustrated.

“But then I said to the lads at the end fair play to Nomads as they had a right good go at us. They had nothing to lose – they came out and pressed us. They tried something different and the lads can’t always have it their own way.

“You have to fight, scrap and keep the ball in the tight spaces and you might not get many opportunities, but when they do come along you have to be ruthless, put the game to bed.

“We didn’t do that on Friday. The half-time message was to improve as we under-performed in the first half. In the second half – in spells – we were better but I still think Friday was an off-night for us."

“We didn’t have our usual way of keeping the ball and dominating possession and our decision were not good.

“Our decisions in tackling, transition, in threading things through; I just don’t think we were our usual selves. You have these nights and sometimes you’ve just got to accept it.

“But it’s another point for us and we’re heading in the right direction. But obviously Connah’s Quay got a point and we’d have liked to have sneaked away with all the points and get further away from them.”