The New Saints gave it their best shot as they bowed out of the Champions League with heads held high against one of the big guns of European football.

Warmly applauded off the pitch by the Belgian fans at the final whistle, the Welsh Premier champions were undaunted amid a terrific atmosphere in front of 21,000 fans at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.

In the end they were well beaten, the damage being done in last week’s 3-1 first leg defeat at Wrexham before going down 3-0 in last night’s return in Brussels, substitute Romelu Lakaku netting twice in the second half after a strike from Thomas De Sutter had separated the sides at the interval.

Until the arrival of 17-year-old crowd favourite Lukaku as a second half substitute, the Saints had frustrated their hosts in the third qualifying round tie — but found the youngster a handful in an energy sapping second half.

However, amid the disappointment, the Oswestry-based side could take plenty of satisfaction from their gutsy performance against the Belgian giants who underlined their potency on the big stage with a flowing performance that should take them far in the competition.

“To be honest it was a tough night from start to finish,” admitted striker Matty Williams. “They are a quality team and moved the ball round really well. We’re disappointed but there are lots of positives.”

Two time European Cup winners Anderlecht took the game to their visitors right from the first whistle on a humid night with a couple of efforts flashing wide while keeper Paul Harrison pulled off a fine save from De Sutter.

But the early pressure soon paid for the hosts when De Sutter broke through on 17 minutes to drill his shot past the keeper following an incisive pass from Sacha Kljestan.

Matias Suarez then fired wide of the far post, but TNS steadied the ship with central defenders Steve Evans and Phil Baker putting in some timely tackle.

Jamie Wood, preferred to Matt Berkeley in midfield, showed his experience in a frantic tie while Craig Jones, goalscorer in the first leg, looked to make the most of what openings he had.

And the visitors had a couple of half chances themselves with Barry Hogan firing over and Chris Sharp also going close as they pushed at every opportunity

Just as in the first leg, the Saints looked purposeful after the interval but hopes of pulling off a shock comeback in the third qualifying round tie faded as the encounter opened up.

And Lukaku made an instant impact when he was released from the bench with two goals inside six minutes.

The huge-framed youngster first found space in the box to latch on to a Roland Juhasz ball and fire into the net on 69 minutes, before beating his marker on the edge of the box to curl another effort past Harrison.

The chances continued to flow, the Saints surviving several scares with Harrison pulling off a great stop from a Lukas Maracek thunderbolt.

But Mike Davies’ men, despite facing a near impossible task, refused to surrender as Sharp saw a strike deflected past the post in a rousing last quarter.

By JOHN BRIDGWATER