Byrne strikes late winner as The New Saints go top
Kurtis Byrne struck three minutes from time as The New Saints were made to work for victory against bottom club Carmarthen Town.
Byrne’s winner secured a 1-0 success and lifted Scott Ruscoe’s side to the top of the Welsh Premier League.
Byrne, who came off the bench with 14 minutes remaining, pounced after a Ryan Brobbel effort came back off the post.
It was a deserved goal for the Oswestry-based side, but the struggling visitors battled hard.
Luke Bowen almost gave the visitors an early lead but his effort trickled just past the post.
From there Saints began to get on top and Adrian Cieslewicz drove the ball across the face of goal but, despite his best efforts, Dean Ebbe wasn’t able to get a touch.
Ruscoe’s men stepped up the pressure in the second period and Lee Idzi produced a terrific save to keep out a Brobbel effort that was heading for the top corner.
Ebbe had a golden chance to break the deadlock on 56 minutes but his effort narrowly rolled the wrong side of the post. Greg Draper was denied by Idzi as well as a goal-saving block by Dave Vincent.
But the pressure finally told as Byrne netted on 87 minutes.
