TNS 2 Barry Town Utd 1

TNS maintained their unbeaten start to the season with victory over Barry Town United to maintain their lead at the top of the JD Cymru Premier.

The old rivals squared on a miserable afternoon in Oswestry and it was the visitors who began the brighter with Jordan Cotterrall testing TNS goalkeeper Paul Harrison after eight minutes in the first real opening.

Harrison was tested once again by Kayne McLaggon 10 minutes later as the Saints continued to struggle to find any momentum.

However two minutes later the Saints almost led with their first effort of the match with Louis Robles denied by the woodwork.

TNS were disrupted by the loss of Chris Marriott to injury and indebted to Ryan Astles for a shot preventing tackle on McLaggon as Barry looked to make their possession count.

Instead it was the Saints who led five minutes before the break with Robles steering home after Blaine Hudson headed Leo Smith's corner back across goal.

The Saints survived a scare just before the interval when Astles scythed an attempted clearance over his own bar but TNS held firm to lead at the break.

TNS began the second-half brightly with Adrian Cieslewicz drilling wide before narrowly failing to get on the end of Jon Routledge's low cross.

Pressure continued with Ciezelewicz curling another effort wide before Greg Draper's point blank range header forced a superb save from goalkeeper Mike Lewis.

Lewis was again called into action on the hour with another close range save to turn away Astles' close range headed effort.

Astles was in action at the other end five minutes later with a scrambled clearance after Harrison parried away Michael George's effort as Barry looked to get a foothold in the game.

Instead TNS doubled their lead on 72 minutes with Routledge releasing Robles who squared for Draper to fire home.

However Barry were back in the game four minutes later with Nat Jarvis netting from Chris Hugh's cross to ensure a lively ending to the game.

Barry laid siege with Curtis Jemmett-Hutson seeing two shots blocked in a packed goalmouth with McLaggon also firing wide.

McLaggon also had appeals for a penalty rejected late on following a challenge from Hudson but despite mounting endless pressure on the home ranks the visitors could not complete their comeback as TNS held firm.

TNS: Harrison, Marriott, Astles, Hudson, Spender, Routledge, Holland, Smith, Robles, Draper, Cieslewicz. Subs: Williams, Ebbe, Mullan, Harrington, Clark, Boateng, Rees.

BARRY: Lewis, Cummings, Cooper, McDonald, Hugh, Wharton, Green, George, Cotterill, Jarvis, McLaggon. Subs: Abbruzzese, Press, Sainty, Hutson, Graham.