After 9 weeks since completing the Treble with Welsh Cup glory, The New Saints were back in UEFA Champions league action against North Macedonia side FK Shkendija. Craig Harrison The New Saints Head Coach gives Three debuts in the starting 11 with Goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd, Midfielder Dominic Corness and Record Signing Striker Ben Wilson.
TNS started well as early as the 3rd minute when Rory Holden cross was headed over by Wilson. Then Ryan Brobbel causing problems set up Holden whose deflected shot went wide.
It took 15 minutes before the visitors started to get going when the dangerous Fabrice Tamba tested Shepperd when his outside of the foot shot was saved. A minute Tamba stretched the TNS defence his cross was headed over by Liridon Latifi.
Great hold up play by Wilson set up Dan Williams who scuffed his shot at the vital moment a minute later KF Shkendija Captain Klisman Cake was the first player to receive a Yellow Card in the 20th minute.
The move of the First half came when in the first third the ball was brought out by TNS Captain Danny Redmond who gave the ball into the second third to Corness who ran on passed into the final third only for Jordan Williams to blaze it over towards the corner flag with the defender looming by him.
Ronaldo Webster was looking dangerous on the other side he put a beautiful ball in across the box that Jordan Williams had to put the ball behind for a corner. KF Shkendija were looking for a goal and they almost got it with a superb cross with the outside of his foot by Latifi with Fiton Ademi looking certain to score a goal stopping tackle from Redmond nipped in front of the Striker to save a certain goal.
A sad sight to see was when TNS Leo Smith was carried away on a stretcher 3 minutes before half time he was replaced by another player making his debut Kade Craig , their was 7 minutes of injury time when Brobbel brought a good save from Gaye the ball fell to Dan Williams whose shot was deflected for a corner.
Half Time ; The New Saints 0 FK Shkendija 0
The second half started when FK Shkendija Endrit Krasniqi who cut inside on the left hand side his shot landed just in front of Shepperd who pushed it away for a corner.
The best chance of the match came The New Saints way when Holden brought the ball out looked for Jordan Williams who was always looking second best to get to the ball until a mistake from defender Webster Williams pounced passed it to Wilson whose goal bound shot was saved by the foot of goalkeeper Gaye. Then some nice build up play set up Corness whose 25 yard shot was going into the top corner was tipped over by Gaye
The visitors had one last chance when the 2 Subs combined when Vane Krstevski played a one two with Besart Ibraimi Krstevski lobbed the ball towards goal only for Redmond to head it away to safety.
Full Time; The New Saints 0 FK Shkendija 0.
