Harrison insists it's still game on for The New Saints

Craig Harrison insisted The New Saints "are well and truly in the tie" after his side's 2-0 UEFA Champions League defeat against Sabah, the champions of Azerbaijan.

Second-half goals from Veljko Simic and Kaheem Parris in Tuesday night's opening leg of the first qualifying round tie gave Sabah an advantage going into next Tuesday's Park Hall return.

Head coach Harrison - quick to stress the importance of TNS scoring first in the second leg - always anticipated a tough night against a side which completed a league and cup double last season.

Simic headed in a 66th-minute corner to give Sabah the lead and he then turned provider for the home side's second six minutes from time when he set up Parris to score.

"We knew it was going to be very tough," said Harrison. "They're a very good team. We knew there were going to be large spells of the game without possession, but we planned for that.

"We planned for a shape, we planned for a mid to low block and tried to control the game without the ball.

"Ultimately, until the set-play goes in, we've done that, and obviously (for them) to get the second was disappointing. If we had went away with a 1-0 defeat it wouldn't have been the worst result in the world, but I don't think two is either.

"It keeps you in the game, keeps you ready to go back at Park Hall, and if we can score first, we've had a really good record at Park Hall.

"In recent years we've give Ferencvaros and Hacken really good games and only been beat by the odd goal and scored against both teams, so if we can get a goal first then it's game on again."

Asked about how well his team maintained their defensive discipline, Harrison said he was “very, very proud” after working on a plan.

He added: “Myself, the coaching staff, have spent long hours planning it, trying to get it from paper to pitch, getting it across to the players and the players have come on board perfectly.

"It's a set-play that's done with the first one and then the second one's a very, very good goal because they're very good players, so we've got to sometimes accept that and we have accepted it.

"But I thought overall the players carried out the plan almost perfectly.

"Obviously a perfect plan would be 0-0, but from that point of view a set-play and a really good goal, then we are as happy as what we can be with getting beat.

"No one wants to get beat. Ideally, it would have been one or ideally we would have kept a clean sheet, but as we stand we are well and truly in the tie and we look forward to bringing Sabah back to Park Hall.”