UEFA Conference League

Second qualifying Round first leg

The New Saints 1

Holden 74

FC Swift Hesper 1

Martins 14

A DEFLECTED Rory Holden goal has kept The New Saint’s European dream alive ahead of next week’s second qualifying round second leg in Luxembourg.

The centre midfielder’s last contribution to the clash at Park Hall was to fire home via a deflection to rescue Craig Harrison’s men in a tough test.

And they had more than enough to be thankful for to keeper Connor Roberts after his second-half penalty save kept Saints in the tie.

Dejvid Sinani was first to test Roberts in the home goal as the right winger was allowed to run for 25 yards before shooting.

But Roberts was able to push his effort away for a corner inside the fourth minute.

TNS found their stride and it was Saints who nearly went ahead a minute later when good play from Ben Clark led to Josh Daniels’s shot being deflected wide.

With the encounter a far more open affair than the Champions League defeat to BK Hacken, Saints were almost undone in the eighth minute when Cedric Sacras’s cross-cum-shot evaded everyone.

But the visitors took the lead late in the 14th minute after Saints failed to deal with a free kick – needlessly given away by Chris Marriott – and Martins was there to poke home.

Saints were frustrated by the amount of possession Swift Hesper were having, with Ryan Brobbel’s snapshot on 28 minutes the only effort of note after falling behind.

For the first time in the half, Saints looked to dominate after great work by Brobbel led to a corner, but TNS wasted the opportunity.

Saints spurned a glorious chance on 34 minutes when Brobbel’s raking pass was swept into the box first time by Daniel Davies but Daniels missed an open goal from six yards out.

Visiting keeper Geordan Dupire pulled off a sensational save from Ryan Astles on 40 minutes, flying high to his right to palm away the defender’s header from eight yards.

However, ref Jasper Vergoote, from Belgium, had already whistled for a foul.                                                                                                        

Saints were saved from the worst-case scenario on 57 minutes when Roberts made an outstanding penalty stop low to his right from visiting skipper Dominik Stolz after he was fouled by Joshua Pask.

Harrison threw the dice on 58 minutes when he introduced Declan McManus for Brobbel, with the Irishman short on fitness after injury.

TNS were living dangerously when on 62 minutes, Stolz – who has a European career goal against AC Milan to his name – struck the left-hand post before Astles cleared Rachid Alioui’s follow-up off the line.

Saints, after holding out against sustained pressure, drew level on 74 minutes when Holden’s 25-yard strike found its way past Dupire via more than one deflection, much to the home crowd’s relief.

It was now the right-hand post of Roberts’s goal to save the Saints on 82 minutes as sub Blankson Anoff’s effort rebounded away to safety.

The TNS boss was shown a late yellow for complaining about another heavy Swift challenge but will be happy that his side is still in the tie.

TNS: Roberts, Pask, Marriott, Astles, Davies (Canavan 90), Clark (Williams D 58), Holden (Baker 76), Smith, Williams J, Brobbel (McManus 58), Daniels

Subs not used: Thompson, Edwards, Redmond, Cieslewicz, Hudson, Roscrow, Dafydd, Kirkman

Att:789