One side has been in pre-season training more than a month, the other less than two weeks – and it sure showed in this Shropshire derby at Park Hall.

Welsh Premier champions The New Saints were playing their fifth friendly of the summer as they count down to their Champions League second qualifying round clash with Irish side Bohemians next week.

Telford, by contrast, have had just a few training sessions with their new boss Andy Sinton – and finished on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline.

Saints looked composed in possession and certainly had a greater presence in the final third, though the Bucks will feel both goals conceded were avoidable.

The first arrived in just the fifth minute, Danny Holmes crossing from the right and Matthew Berkeley heading back across goal for Chris Sharp to head in.

Telford keeper Ryan Young should have kept the effort out, but could only get half a hand to it — and the ball trickled over the line.

The second goal came in the 37th minute, the visitors losing the ball in midfield and Chris Marriott charging on the overlap down the left before crossing for Matty Williams to steer a shot into the ground that bounced up and in.

There could be no complaints about the scoreline, and the Oswestry-based side’s boss Mike Davies was certainly happy with their progress.

Fantastic

“It was a good performance,” he declared. “We’ve had a fantastic pre-season so far, some great results.

“It was a difficult test last night but we can be pleased.

“We kept the ball well, everyone did what was asked of them and we were pleased to get the clean sheet and the win.”

The second half was largely a non-event, with a succession of substitutions breaking the flow of the game.

The Saints made seven changes and Telford eight, with a number of trialists given the chance to shine.

Only Young, skipper Stuart Whitehead and new signing Steve Abbott played the full 90 minutes for the Blue Square Bet North side — and Sinton was satisfied by what he saw in his first game in charge.

“I thought it was an excellent workout for us,” he said.

“I thought TNS were excellent and we won’t come up against that at our level.

“They’re a month ahead of us, they’re four games ahead of us, but our lads acquitted themselves well after just two weeks of training.

“We could have had a first pre-season game against a lesser side and beaten them 7-0 and I wouldn’t have learned as much as what I learned last night.”

By CHRIS HUDSON