Dafabet Welsh Premier League

Cardiff Metropolitan 0

TNS 5

CHAMPIONS TNS consolidated their 23 point lead over Bala Town at the top of the table with an emphatic 5-0 win over Cardiff Metropolitan at Cyncoed on Saturday.

TNS rung the changes with Andy Wycherley handed his league debut in goal while Mehai Lecai made his first Welsh Premier start.

The Students’ season has gone off the boil since securing their top flight status at Christmas and proved no match for the champions who led inside the opening six minutes.

The hosts failed to clear their lines with Alex Darlington pouncing to net and TNS never looked back.

Four minutes later Darlington completed his brace with a low finish past an advancing Will Fuller as the Saints established a commanding early lead.

The hosts held TNS at bay until the 25th minute when Chris Seargeant released Simon Spender on the right who linked with Jamie Mullan before crossing for Greg Draper to steer home.

Draper almost added a second four minutes later with Mullan releasing the New Zealander who forced a save from busy Students stopper Fuller.

A rare chance for the hosts saw Charlie Corsby fire wide from the edge of the area but it was a brief and rare threat to Wycherley’s largely untroubled afternoon.

The hosts soaked up the pressure for the remainder of a one sided half before being punished for their sloppy start to the second-half as TNS struck inside the opening minute.

Once again it was Draper who raced through a gaping Cardiff Metropolitan defence and fended off Martin Swindelhurst before skillfully slotting past Fuller from 15 yards.

TNS rounded up their scoring on the hour with Adrian Cieslewicz maintaining his fine form with an unstoppable shot beyond Fuller after cutting inside from the left wing.

Corsby ballooned over as Cardiff Met continued to feed off scraps with the champions comfortably seeing out the game in style.

The victory leaves TNS with a 23 point lead at the top and a massive goal difference of 74 with 91 goals scored so far this season and five games to go.

TNS: Wycherley, Spender, Pryce, Leca, Rawlinson, Routledge, Seargeant, Darlington, Mullan, Draper, Cieslewicz. Subs: Saunders, Edwards, Brobbel, Quigley, Fletcher, Farleigh.

Att – 134