Craig Harrison backing as TNS look to book another final date

Cup holders Saints face Cardiff Metropolitan University in the competition’s second semi-final at Newtown’s Latham Park ground tomorrow (5.15pm).

Connah’s Quay Nomads beat Bala Town 1-0 in last weekend’s opening semi-final to progress to next month’s final.

Saints will be looking for a positive response as they play their first game since their impressive 26-match winning sequence in all competitions came to an end.

Ben Clark gave Saints an early lead in last Sunday’s SPFL Trust Trophy final against Airdrieonians, but the Scottish Championship club hit back to win 2-1, a result which ended the Park Hall side’s quadruple hopes.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Welsh Cup semi-final, Harrison said: “The one thing that you don’t want to do is coming off the back of a negative result is not have a performance after that, so I’ve got every faith in the players.

“It’s one defeat. We’ve won 26 on the bounce, so it’s pretty special really at any standard of football. Credit must go to all the players and I think the really important bit is that it’s all the players. It’s not just the lads that have been playing.

“It’s the players that have been pushing everyone in training, the injured boys who have been supportive, the staff behind the scenes.”

As for the challenge awaiting Saints, the JD Cymru Premier’s runaway champions, against the division’s fifth-placed side Cardiff Met, Harrison added: “It’s important we concentrate on us. We know the threats Cardiff Met have got. We know that historically they’re a very organised, fit team.”

Saints were crowned league champions after their most recent meeting with Cardiff Met at the start of this month, a match TNS won 4-0 at Park Hall.