Welsh Premier League

Cefn Druids 0

The New Saints 3

The New Saints continue to pile the pressure on their title rivals after they wrapped a comfortable New Year's Day win over Cefn Druids.

Ryan Brobbel – who scored a hat-trick against the same opposition on Boxing Day – opened the scoring with Aeron Edwards adding a double.

The win leaves Saints in third, two points behind leaders Connah's Quay Nomads.

Saints struggled to get a foothold in the opening 15 minutes as Druids, stung from their Boxing Day thrashing, were on the front foot from the start.

So it was against the run of play when Brobbel scored his fourth goal in 106 minutes against the Druids when he finished well from inside the box to put TNS one up.

It was two on 20 minutes when Edwards controlled a perfect diagonal from Danny Redmond – in an unfamiliar left-back position – to fire past Michael Jones.

Scott Ruscoe's side headed into the break with their two-goal lead, despite not having to ease past second gear.

Saints nearly trebled their lead on 58 minutes when striker Kurtis Byrne took advantage of a defensive mix-up but could only side-foot narrowly wide.

The second half became more of a possession game for the Welsh Premier League Champions as Druids huffed and puffed to no avail.

But the home side felt they should have a penalty on 72 minutes when Redmond came together with James Davies – referee Mark Petch said no.

Saints sealed their win on 77 minutes when he followed Redmond's deep free-kick all the way to the back post to stab home into the roof of the net unchallenged.

TNS: Harrison, Spender, Cabango, Hudson, Redmond, Routledge, Holland, Mullan, Brobbel (Cieslewicz 83), Edwards (Hmami 79), Byrne (Draper 72)

Subs not used: Dutton, Nembhard, Lewis