TNS 1

Carmarthen Town 0

KURTIS Byrne came off the bench to fire TNS to the top of the table with a midweek win over bottom of the table Carmarthen Town.

The Saints went into the game on the back of a 12-0 annihilation of Airbus UK Broughton but found their West Wales visitors far more formidable.

Carmarthen almost broke the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes only for Luke Bowen to fire wide.

TNS struggled to find the cohesion which had so overwhelmingly outclassed Airbus and instead the Old Gold held their own and even created chances of their own.

Lewis Harling and Jordan Vickers both fired over as Carmarthen went into the break having frustrated their hosts.

TNS were much improved after the break and set the tone for a dominant second-half display early on with Ryan Brobbel forcing goalkeeper Lee Idzi into action.

TNS continued to press and just before the hour Dean Ebbe burst through only to fire wide under pressure from Idzi.

Idzi was again called upon on 62 minutes with a smart save to deny Aeron Edwards.

TNS manager Scott Ruscoe rang the changes with Greg Draper added to the mix on the hour and immediately announced his arrival by testing Idzi.

By now the Saints laid siege to the Carmarthen goal with Jon Routledge denied in a desperate goalmouth scramble.

Ruscoe threw caution to the wind and went all out attack with Byrne added for the final quarter.

The pressure finally told and with six minutes remaining Brobbel’s curling shot struck the post with Byrne following up to fire TNS to the top of the table.

TNS: Harrison, Marriott (Routledge 19), Davies, Ebbe (Draper 59), Brobbel, Redmond, Cieslewicz, Hudson, Nembhard (Byrne 75), Edwards, Harrington. Subs: Lewis, Dutton, Whitehouse.