New Saints keen to take swift revenge
After losing top spot in the Welsh Premier, The New Saints have a score to settle as they chase swift revenge against Newtown at Park Hall on New Year's Day.
A disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Robins on Boxing Day saw the Saints slip into second spot, one point behind new table-toppers Airbus UK.
But the defending champions, keen to get their title bid back on the rails, have a quick chance to bounce back when the two sides come face to face again six days later.
Director of football Craig Harrison will be anxious to mark two years in charge with a return to winning ways after just one point from his side's last two outings.
"We've now got a home game coming up which will suit our style of play," he said. "The pitch was heavy at Newtown, we couldn't get our passing game going, but we're not going to make excuses. You've got to adapt to different conditions.
"We didn't do enough to win, but having said that, I don't think they did either, but you've got to give them credit for the way they played and they scored a good goal.£
By contrast, Newtown manager Chris Hughes could hardly be happier as he hailed an outstanding performance from his side in the Boxing Day victory over the Saints.
"The players were fantastic," he said. "We set them up and they delivered the game plan to perfection.
"I don't think you'll see a better performance all season from any other Welsh Premier League team than the way we played against TNS. We thoroughly deserved our win and they can have no complaints."
