TNS end superb season with disappointing final
The New Saints boss Craig Harrison was “disappointed” to miss out on a domestic treble, as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Connah’s Quay in the JD Welsh Cup final.
Harry Franklin opened the scoring from Declan Poole’s cross on the half-hour mark, before Ash Baker levelled for TNS six minutes later as he met Daniel Redmond’s swinging cross with a deft header.
The Nomads restored their lead five minutes before the break when Joshua Williams rifled a scissor-kick volley into the top corner.
That result was TNS’s first domestic defeat of the campaign and Harrison felt a poor first-half performance ultimately cost his side.
He said: “A massive disappointment. We wanted to finish the season on a high, it’s been such a fantastic season.
“Then to not play well and lose the game, of course we’re very disappointed.
“I don’t think we were great in the first half. We made some strange decisions, we didn’t win second balls, the goal has come from a second ball.
“It’s a great finish but we have to do better with that one.
“Was it a game too far? I don’t know. You’ve got to say well done to Connah’s Quay. I am certainly not a sore loser. I’ve got a lot of respect for everybody, obviously no-one wants to get beat, certainly not us and certainly not me. It’ll take a while to get over it but congratulations to Connah’s Quay.”
Despite the defeat, TNS have enjoyed a sensational campaign, which has seen them go an entire league campaign without defeat en route to their 16th JD Cyrmu Premier title.
The Saints collected 30 wins from 32 games and also scored a whopping 117 goals – breaking their previous record of 112 which was set last season.
And Harrison was only too keen to praise his players, who he says “have given everything”.
Harrison continued: “I’ve got to give credit to the players who’ve been fantastic all season.
“It (the post-season) couldn’t come quick enough for the players. It’s been a long season, they’ve given everything.
“The first thing I said when I went into the dressing room was that we’ll address today’s performance and after that, we’ll quickly move over it because throughout the season the players have given everything they’ve had.”
