TNS eager to bounce straight back from loss

Saints saw their seven-game winning run emphatically ended with a 4-1 home defeat against Connah’s Quay Nomads on Saturday.

That result, a first defeat under head coach Anthony Limbrick since his appointment earlier this month, saw Nomads replace TNS at the top of the table.

Saints now find themselves three points behind with five matches remaining.

The top two will meet again on Saturday, this time at the Deeside Stadium, with Saints, who have a better goal difference than Nomads, aware their title destiny remains in their own hands.

Reflecting on the events of last weekend, Ryan Brobbel, who was the TNS goalscorer, said: “It’s probably one of my heaviest defeats since I’ve been here, so, yes, it’s not nice.

Deflated

“The lads are a bit deflated, but we’ve got to pick ourselves up and go again.”

Assessing the title race with Connah’s Quay, Brobbel added: “It’s still in our own hands.

“We’ve still got to go and play them at their place and if we win all of our games, I think we mathematically still win the league, but, yes, we’ve just got to pick ourselves up and go Tuesday, and then back to Connah’s Quay on Saturday and make sure we win.”

Brobbel welcomes Saints quickly returning to action tonight following Saturday’s setback.

“I think it’s a blessing in disguise the game being Tuesday,” he said. “We don’t have too much time to think about this game (the Connah’s Quay defeat).

“We’ve just got to brush ourselves off and go again Tuesday and make sure we get the three points.”

Saints were 2-0 winners at sixth-placed Caernarfon last Tuesday thanks to second-half goals from Greg Draper and Blaine Hudson.

Leaders Connah’s Quay don’t play again until tomorrow night when they travel to third-placed Bala Town.