Not The Result That We Wanted

In a one-off game, it was ultimately all about the result, and sadly it wasn’t to be as far as The New Saints was concerned. Coming from one down to lead 2-1, it was a strike for the home team right at the end of the extra-time period that took the encounter to penalties.

For the fourth shootout on the bounce, it didn’t go the way of the JD Cymru Premier side. Instead it was B36 celebrating come the end.

 

Captain Fantastic, Paul Harrison

In a first-half that produced no goals, we have ‘H’ to thank for that. As well as an excellent stop that denied Pingel in the 24th minute, he pulled off a magnificent reflex save that prevented a Ryan Astles own goal five minutes earlier.

Always Mr. Consistency, this was Harrison’s forty-eighth European appearance for The New Saints.

 

Leo Smith, Super Sub

Not that he will want the title, of course, because everyone wants to be in the starting line-up, but with three goals in as many games – and all of them as a substitute – it’s a sequence that Smith will nevertheless be proud of.

They’ve all been key goals as well, and even though on this occasion it didn’t prove to be as ultimately crucial as the previous two, he did score the goal that took the game into extra-time.

 

Dean Ebbe

It takes something – or someone – very special to keep Greg Draper out of the starting line-up. So far this season, that someone has been Dean Ebbe.

His work rate is up there with the best, and with a goal and an assist to his name in the Faroe Islands, the statistics speak for themselves.

 

Team Spirit

Obviously, the players were very disappointed come the final whistle. They’re professionals and they want to win every game. When they don’t, it hurts.

However, there is also a great team spirit in the camp, and the ‘down-time’ didn’t last too long. There is positivity and belief in abundance, as the team looks ahead to Sunday’s game against Cardiff Metropolitan University FC.

 

Lead image, courtesy of Brian Jones, of Captain Fantastic in action.