The New Saints aiming for five from five in league

Saints have won all four of their opening league games to move three points clear at the top of the table, writes Stuart Dunn.

While Saints have enjoyed excellent early season form, their hosts this weekend are still searching for their first league victory of the campaign. Penybont are currently in ninth place after drawing three of their four league games so far.

Chris Seargeant, the TNS assistant head coach, said that Rhys Griffiths, the Penybont manager, has done ‘an incredible job’ and added that Saints must ‘be very wary of them’.

Responding to the suggestion that Saints will go into tomorrow’s match as favourites, Seargeant said: “We’ll go into most games as favourites if we’re being really honest. I think the fact that they’re down the bottom so early on is a little bit irrelevant. They’ll be nowhere near the relegation zone.

“Rhys has done an incredible job there. They’re always tough games, it doesn’t matter whether they’ve won or not yet. I think it’s definitely one that we’re looking forward to again, the form we’re in, but we need to be very wary of them.

“They’ve strengthened in some good areas and the games have actually been quite tight.”

Meanwhile, TNS head coach Anthony Limbrick has won the JD Cymru Premier manager of the month award for August following his side’s 100 per cent start to the league season.

n Newtown’s goals are going to come from all over the pitch this season according to Chris Hughes – despite the fact new signing Aaron Williams has hit double figures in just a handful of games.

Williams scored four goals in the League Cup, with strikes in the league followed by a hat-trick in the Welsh Cup last weekend.

And Robins boss Hughes – whose side visit Flint Town United tomorrow (2.30pm) – said: “As a forward you are judged on goals and Aaron is doing that. What is important for us is not just the goals that Aaron scores, it is his all-round play.

“He’s still getting used to us, and this level, and there is much more to come from him.

“We have seen what he can do, he will improve and we have to remember he has only played twice since New Year’s Day, so he is still playing catch-up.

“The season got curtailed in England so he is getting up to speed still but scoring, which is really good to see.

“But the others are chipping in> Fumpa Mwandwe has a few, Nick Rushton, Jordan Evans, James Davies, Jamie Breese are all there to get goals.

“We have good forward players to create the chances, and we need people who are going to score in the final third and win games, and we have that.”

Last week the Robins boss insisted that the JD Welsh Cup, in which Newtown beat Berriew 6-1, has an added onus this year because clubs can no longer get into Europe through the play-offs.

He said: “I think yeah, there will be a bit more on it. In the Welsh Cup you have to win five or six games and you’ve won a trophy, so the European thing could open it up a bit.

“Here it will be no different, we always try to do well. I had success at Prestatyn and got to a final with Newtown. It has always been a pathway to Europe, and we will be going at it the same way that we always do.”