Despite going three league games without a win, The New Saints manager Scott Ruscoe believes there is no excuse for his side to not be aiming for a league and cup double.

Saints host Newtown in the Welsh Cup quarter-final on Saturday, after falling four points behind the top spot in the JD Cymru Premier table after losing away at Connah’s Quay Nomads on Friday night.

With the cup game coming up, Ruscoe wants his side to re-find their form from earlier this season.

“The cup game is a chance for us to get back to where we need to be,” he said.

“We need to be pressing teams, creating chances, getting forward more and putting teams to the sword really.

“Everyone knows that’s where we need to be; there’s no hiding place now.

“There’s 10 games left this season when you include league and cup games, so we need everyone at 100 per cent of their maximum for that.”

Ruscoe’s side were beaten by Newtown in the league three games ago at Latham Park, but the TNS boss believes his side has what it takes to beat them this time around, and has full belief in his side to go all the way in both the league and the Welsh Cup.

“I want to get the double,” he said. “I don’t see why we can’t beat Connah’s Quay at home in the league.

“Someone else might get a draw off them or they might lose one. I don’t see them winning seven from seven in the league.

“I still believe we’ll win the league and I think we can win the Welsh Cup too, why not?

“If you asked me before if I would have taken a home tie against Newtown in the quarter-final, I’d have said yes.”

Despite two losses and a draw from their first three phase two matches, Ruscoe has been impressed by some of his side’s performances.

He said: “In terms of performances, against Bala Town we were very good, and against Connah’s Quay, the conditions were difficult.

“Those are two games where we came from there without the result, but these things happen in football.

“But at the end of the day, the best teams win the league and the cups, so let’s re-assess at the end of the season and not in February when these trophies don’t get given out.”

With that in mind, he said changes to the side will only take place if necessary.

He explained: “There could potentially be some changes Saturday, but we’ll see what happens.

“We’ll look at how Newtown set up against us and go from there.

“A win would be big for us on Saturday to take us into the game against Barry the following weekend.

“Again that’s one of the seven league games now which we need maximum points from.

“There’s no hiding place – if we see that players aren’t up for it or aren’t ready for the challenge, then they don’t play. It’s simple – they know where we stand and know how important this stage of the season is now.”

TNS host Newtown on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm).