"It's credit to them" - nine changes, but The New Saints march on in cup
The New Saints head coach Craig Harrison was impressed as his much-changed side booked their place in the Nathaniel MG Cup semi-finals by beating Caernarfon Town 3-0.
Adrian Cieslewicz broke the deadlock for Saints, the cup holders, early in the second half of Tuesday night’s last eight tie under the Park Hall lights.
Jack Nadin, the former Nottingham Forest midfielder, then scored twice as TNS extended their winning run to 13 in all competitions.
“It was brilliant,” said Harrison. “We made nine changes and some lads there have not played an awful lot of football and they’ve trained really hard.
“It’s credit to them that they’ve looked after themselves in training and the last time they’ve played was Mold (in the JD Welsh Cup) and the last time they played before that was the previous round of this competition, some of them, so I’m really pleased for them.
“I’m really pleased for Jack Edwards, fantastic in goal, brilliant. He’s only a young lad and he’s not had an awful lot of experience, but he was top drawer.
“Really pleased with Lewis Wynne as well, making his debut, and really pleased for Jack (Nadin) getting a couple of goals.
“Overall, I think everyone’s contributed a huge factor because it’s not easy, I’ve got to reiterate that, when you haven’t been in a rhythm of playing games, coming in and not playing many games for two or three weeks, and coming in and performing like that.
“Caernarfon are near enough their full strength, give or take one or two, and to make nine changes and the boys perform like that, we speak about the strength of the squad, we speak about challenging for places and attitudes, and the boys, all of them, have done themselves a bundle of good there.”
Cieslewicz, who captained Saints on Tuesday, made the breakthrough in the 50th minute, turning the ball past former TNS goalkeeper Connor Roberts after Louis Phillips flicked on a cross from Josh Daniels.
Nadin doubled the advantage after 79 minutes, converting the rebound after Roberts initially produced a good save from a long-range Ben Clark effort.
Nadin then found the net again from Kade Craig’s cross to complete a good night’s work for Saints.
TNS host Cardiff Met in their next JD Cymru Premier match at Park Hall on Friday (7.45pm).
