Anthony Limbrick reflects on Saints campaign after Plzen heartbreak

The Saints went out to Viktoria Plzen last night after being level 1-1 and 5-3 up in the tie heading into the 85th minute when Tomas Chory scored. Jean-David Beauguel scored in the first minute of added on time to send the tie to extra time.

The Czech side went on to win 4-1 penalties after penalty misses from Chris Marriott and Leo Smith.

Limbrick commended his team after keeping Plzen at bay in the extra thirty-minute period to send the tie all the way to spot kicks.

“To hold out in extra time for penalties I thought was one of the most unbelievable things I have seen with a group of players and staff, it was fantastic,” added Limbrick.

“Gutted at the end that we conceded two late goals.

“When your players give you everything, the physical difference between the sides between them and us was evident to see at the moment.

“It was a difficult one at the end, but I am proud of the players.”

In this season’s Conference league qualifying campaign for the 13-time Cymru Premier champions it has proven that the club are not far away from reaching a UEFA group stage.

The TNS boss knows that the team is continuing to improve in every department since taking over. Limbrick wants to consistently be raising the bar every day for the Oswestry side.

He said, “What it proves is we have improved the playing squad with the players brought in.

“The training standards at the club have got better with how we train and how we work.

“We have got better with the fitness that has been invested in as well.

“For us to get to this stage and pull off the result that we got last week and get so close to getting through against a team two years ago was beating Roma in the Champions League and with a budget bigger than ours, this shows how much we have improved with that.

“We know where the levels are, but we don’t want to stand still, for us it’s about pushing on.”

The concentration now turns to the league campaign. The defending champions are Connah’s Quay Nomads who have won for the last two years.

Rewards are ramped up for the winners of the league. Aswell of entering the Champions league qualification, the winners get to enter the Scottish Challenge Cup in the 2022/23 season.

The TNS championship campaign starts on Sunday at Latham Park against Newtown.

For Limbrick the title is a main priority with the squad looking to clinch the main prize in Welsh domestic football.

“One of our targets at the start of the season was to win back the league”, added the Australian coach.

“We have shown so far what we have done with the team and the squad and how those players have come back hungry.

“The players have only had two weeks off, so they have worked ever so hard to get to this point.

“We want to get back on top and start well and we will check the wounded players to see who is fit and who’s not and go win the game on Sunday.”