The New Saints fired up for showdown at the summit

The New Saints’ eight-year stranglehold on the Cymru Premier title was ended by Flintshire outfit Connah’s Quay, who were confirmed as champions on a points-per-game formula in May, after the campaign was ended prematurely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Park Hall side TNS were unhappy with the circumstances in which the authorities awarded the championship to the Nomads and Ruscoe, who has been named Cymru Premier manager of the month for November, said: “The players will know the importance of the game, it’s first versus second.

“With what happened last year and the league finishing sooner than we’d have liked, with Connah’s Quay winning the league, the players need no extra incentive to put on a show and a good performance and hopefully get the win.”

Nomads led the way by four points when football was curtailed in March.

Ruscoe’s men, however, wished to play on and were confident they would overhaul their rivals in the remaining six games, which included a home clash.

TNS mounted a legal challenge to overturn the FA Wales decision, but were ruled unsuccessful at the High Court in July. Ruscoe insisted that his players would come back stronger for the setback and The New Saints have delivered an excellent start to the campaign as the top flight nears its midway stage.

The Saints are still unbeaten, with 12 wins from their first 14 league matches, including a 1-0 Park Hall victory against the Nomads in October.

Andy Morrison’s Connah’s Quay side have also been impressive, just three points further back. The defeat in Oswestry is the Nomads’ only reverse of the domestic campaign.

Ruscoe added: “The top three sides have had a very good start, if we went there, played really well and nicked it (the win) or did a job and came away without losing then we’d be happy.”

The boss has been impressed with what he has seen from his side, who have won four on the spin but not played since December 2, enjoying a free weekend last time out.

But the Saints chief insisted his players can not start to think their job is done. He said: “Stats always come into it, league tables always come into it, they never give you a false position because that’s where you are.

“We are 14 games into an excellent start, it’s no good thinking we’ve done OK and the results will take care of themselves, they won’t.

“They will take care of themselves if you apply yourselves. We’ve been focused, determined, more ruthless in our play in and out of possession and that’s shown with goals scored and eight clean sheets in 12 which is excellent.

“It’s a difficult place to go and one where whoever works harder, makes less mistakes and applies themselves to the game plan put in place will nine times out of 10 win the game.”