TNS 2 Newtown 1

TNS survived a late fightback to prevail 2-1 winners at home to Newtown to go top of the table for the first time on Tuesday night.

Keston Davies and Ryan Brobbel spurned openings early on before the latter forced a smart save from Newtown goalkeeper David Jones on 15 minutes.

Brobbel opened the scoring two minutes later with a free-kick from the edge of the area leaving Jones rooted.

TNS saw penalty appeals denied when Jon Routledge went down in the area as the hosts continued to dictate the game with the pressure yielding a second goal just before the break as Dean Ebbe turned home Adrian Cieslewicz’s right wing cross.

Brobbel continued to menace the Robins defence after the break while Aeron Edwards ballooned wide on the hour.

Newtown were finally galvanised into action and with 15 minutes remaining with Kenton seizing upon a defensive lapse to reduce the arrears and set up a thrilling finale.

The Robins came close to levelling and dominated the remainder of the match with substitute Neil Mitchell firing agonisingly wide from 20 yards before Chris Marriott saved TNS with a goalline clearance to deny Kenton an equaliser at the death.

TNS: Harrison, Marriott, Davies, Routledge, Ebbe (Draper 81), Brobbel, Redmond, Cieslewicz (Whitehouse 72), Lewis, Edwards (Byrne 66), Harrington. Subs: Dutton, Clark

NEWTOWN: Jones, Mills-Evans, Denny (Phillips 83), Rushton, Harry, Kenton, Thorn, Williams, Flint (Mitchell 67), Kelly, Barnes (Morris 59). Subs: Steventon, Sheridan.

Att - 221