The New Saints boss Scott Ruscoe insists his players will be focused on their own jobs when the Welsh Premier Phase Two kicks off at Bala Town tomorrow night.

TNS booked a Welsh FA Cup quarter-final tie with Llandudno Town with a 5-2 win over Airbus Broughton and now return to league action after a two-week break.

Ruscoe’s men are second but a win at the Lakesiders, which is live on Sgorio’s Facebook page at 7.45pm, will see them return to the summit for the first time since November and he’s hoping to put pressure on his title rivals.

“It’s now about getting back to winning against them,” he said.

“We’ve been very efficient in recent weeks with that attitude. The last draw against them, we were still in our up and down stage against them so there’s no reason to go there without our spirits high and to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

“We have this chance to go top of the league on Thursday night and put pressure on whoever plays at the weekend. People will be thinking they have to win and we have that experience of doing it.

“We have the experience of continuing to chalk the games off and collecting points – 10, nine, 8 games, etc – whereas the other teams don’t have the experience of ticking the games off.

“It’s easy to just say to the players ‘concentrate on us’ but everyone is looking at the league table – of course they are – but it’s about keeping our own house in order, training hard and we’re more than capable of going on another run.

“We’ve had six in a row – five in the league – and we’re second in the league with a last-eight place in the Welsh Cup. We’ve just got to keep going over the next group of games.”

Ruscoe confirmed that defender Chris Marriott will be “touch and go” after he came off with an injury on Saturday, adding that only a miraculous recovery would see him play.

He added: “We’re planning for the game without him. But we’ve got players who can play in there without him so we’ll be OK.

“It gives someone the opportunity to step in and that’s why we’ve signed another centre-half in Jack Bodenham.

“Aeron Edwards missed out last week with a slight stomach problem so we’ve gave some players a rest.”

Meanwhile, Ruscoe and officials at TNS were working on a later deal before the January transfer window closes tomorrow.

It is believed the Saints are close to recruiting an English non-league attacking player, but at the time of going to print, a deal had not been agreed.

See www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk for an update.