Defensive errors costly for TNS

TNS slipped to League Cup defeat on Deeside for the second time in three years, but it was defensive errors that cost TNS dear in a game where they created the better chances of what few were on offer.

A dour first-half played out in midfield saw neither side able to create in the final third, with the best opening falling to the visitors on the stroke of half-time, when Nicky Ward's shot was blocked by a defender after he had been put in by Steven Beck.

Both sides came out with more purpose after the interval with Rob Williams heading wide from a Mark Davies corner, and Gerard Doherty saving at the feet of Nomads' Stuart Cooke.

Ward spurned a good chance, shooting wide at the near post but in the 63rd minute Nomads took the lead.

Home keeper Dmitri Brinias relieved the pressure with a huge clearance into the TNS box and Gary O'Toole nipped in to score as both Doherty and Phil Baker debated who would clear the danger.

Brinias then produced a superb diving save to keep out a Scott Ruscoe piledriver as Saints pushed for an equaliser, with sub Michael Wilde thrown into the fray along with youth Ben Jones.

Wilde was wide with his first effort, before John Toner broke clear to round the keeper and fire into an empty net.

With eight minutes left, it seemed as though TNS would at least come away with a point, but the Nomads had other ideas and, when Michael Jackson could only clear with a weak header, debutante Calvin Davies made no mistake, firing low into the far corner.

Stats and report courtesy of welsh-premier.com