The New Saints resume their push for title

Scott Ruscoe’s side host sixth-placed Newtown, a side they have already beaten twice this season, under the Park Hall lights.

Saints were 2-0 winners at Latham Park last month after coming out on top 2-1 in the home fixture in September.

Boss Ruscoe said: “The home game was pretty comfortable for the first, say, 60 minutes and then they scored to make it a little bit nervy towards the end.

“It’s going to be a tough one. They’ve signed a couple of good players as well. Ryan Edwards, an ex-player of ours, so they’ll be up for it and they’ll be ready for us. And I’m sure they’ll be wanting to avenge the two defeats.”

Saints have won all three of their league and cup games so far in 2020, with Ruscoe keen his team’s good form continues.

“Form’s vital,” stressed Ruscoe. “If you look at the top leagues and how the teams at the top are doing and everyone else is trying to catch them up. Look at the Premier League with Liverpool. It seems they’re unstoppable. It’s one, as a Liverpool fan, it’s great to see and it’s very difficult for the teams underneath to remain focused and 100 per cent and that’s what we had last year.

“We ran away with it and the teams underneath were maybe dropping points and losing games and it’s very hard to then get back to anywhere near to the top of the table.

“It’s 10 games to go, it’s 30 points, it’s what we want. Can we get a little gap now and then push on from there? It’s as simple as that really.”

Saints have not played since beating Aberystwyth Town 4-0 on January 25 to book a quarter-final spot in the JD Welsh Cup.

Ruscoe added: “At different spells of the season we’ve had a little bit of time off and each time we’ve come back you can see the difference in the players after they’ve had the break.”