Welsh Premier League

TNS 0

Caernarfon Town 1

A late Nathan Craig penalty after TNS defender Ben Cabango was sent off sealed back-to-back defeats for Saints against Caernarfon Town.

Craig’s 85th minute penalty was the difference between the two sides as Saints failed to fire in front of goal again.

The loss will heap more pressure on boss Scott Ruscoe as Saints suffered their fourth league loss of the season.

While Saints looked dangerous in their attacks in the opening 10 minutes, the lack of confidence Ruscoe has talked of showed as they gave the ball away on more than one occasion.

The first 25 minutes was a cagey affair, with either side failing to create clear-cut chances to make the breakthrough.

Town, who lost by the odd one in a seven-goal thriller to Carmarthen last week, more than matched their hosts for effort.

But Saints could – and should – have been ahead on the half hour, when Aeron Edwards pushed the ball past visiting keeper Alex Ramsey but his touch was too heavy and the ball agonisingly rolled out.

Seven minutes later, Saints spurned another glorious chance as Joash Nembhard somehow managed to head wide when it seemed easier to nod home at the back post from Edwards’s flick-on.

But it remained goalless going at the break.

A bolder Town came out at the break and pushed TNS hard with Gareth Evans giving Paul Harrison a fright as the ball flashed past his left-hand post.

Jamie Mullan came close to breaking the deadlock on 58 minutes when his jinking run past four Caernarfon Town players ended with Ramsey making a smart stop low down.

Sub Dean Ebbe, on for the luckless Greg Draper, came closest to opening the scoring when he headed against the bar from just a few yards out on 67 minutes.

The worst was to come for Saints as on-loan Swansea City man Cabango was dismissed for a foul in the box with referee Mark Petch pointing to the spot on 84 minutes.

Town skipper Craig duly stepped up to squeeze the ball past Harrison to the delight of the travelling Caernarfon fans.

Saints huffed and puffed with their 10 men in the last five minutes but failed to grab the equaliser and regain top spot in the Welsh Premier League.

TNS: Harrison, Spender, Nembhard (Byrne 79), Cabango, Marriott, Brobbel, Routledge, Edwards, Mullan, Cieslewicz (Seargeant 71), Draper (Ebbe 60)

Subs not used: Dutton, Holland, Hmami, Lewis