The New Saints left it to the last kick of the game late to secure a 2-1 victory over title rivals Bala Town to widen the gap in the JD Cymru Premier.
Chris Venables gave the away side the lead in the first half after the forward went down in the box and the linesman called the referee over to give a penalty. Venables then stepped up and slotted it past Paul Harrison. Brobbel scored two late goals with the final one being the last opportunity in the game.
Colin Caton’s team started the better of the teams and proved that by scoring from the spot. After that, Anthony Limbrick’s team got back in the game and left their mark through Ryan Brobbel’s excellence.
The result leaves the Oswestry based side seven points clear of new second placed team, Flint Town United. Bala Town slip down to fourth in the table as they are now behind Newtown on goal difference.
Bala had their first chance in the fifth minute of the game as Paul Rutherford had a shot in the box that Paul Harrison saved.
Ten minutes on, Bala’s talisman, Dave Edwards got a header away in the 18-yard area which went wide of the post.
A couple of minutes on the Lakesiders took the lead as Chris Venables went down in the box as the linesman then called the referee over and gave a penalty for the away side. Venables then stood up and scored past Harrison’s top right.
The Saints had their first chance in the 23rd minute as Declan McManus had a chance from outside the penalty area that Harri Lloyd managed to save.
On the half hour mark, a TNS corner found Ryan Astles who headed the ball over the crossbar.
Five minutes on, Nathan Peate had a header in the box that Harrison got hold of.
Soon after TNS up were up the other end of the pitch, Ryan Brobbel whipped a ball in to Danny Davies as the defender headed wide of the goal.
In the 42nd minute Danny Davies had another chance for Anthony Limbrick’s team as the full-back ran in to the box and shot on target as Lloyd palmed the ball away.
On the stroke of half-time, Brobbel had a free-kick from just outside the 18-yard area that got deflected wide by the Bala wall.
Bala started the better of teams in the second half as Lassana Mendes had a header in the box that went over the crossbar.
A minute later, Ash Baker got on the end of a ball in the Bala penalty area that Lloyd saved.
Soon after, Saints were on the attack again as Danny Redmond crossed the ball into Davies who hit the ball in the box as Lloyd caught the chance.
A couple of minutes on Bala had a big chance to get a second as a passing mistake lead to the away side to win the ball as it got played to Rutherford who had a shot that was saved brilliantly by Harrison.
In the 82nd minute, Ryan Brobbel scored the equaliser for TNS as he hit the top corner of the net from 25-yards out.
Davies almost found the winner in the second minute of stoppage time as he shot from outside the box and was only denied by a fantastic save from Lloyd.
In the final chance of the match, McManus crossed the ball in to Brobbel who headed the ball in the ball in the back of the net to give the home side a dramatic late winner.
TNS will now go onto play Carmarthen in the FAW Welsh Cup away in south Wales on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bala are also away in the cup against Haverfordwest County.
The New Saints: Paul Harrison, Chris Marriott, Ryan Astles, Jon Routledge, Ryan Brobbel, Declan McManus, Danny Redmond, Jordan Williams, Ben Clark (Louis Robles 72’), Danny Davies, Ash Baker (Adrian Cieslewicz 61’).
Goals: Ryan Brobbel 82’ 90+5’.
Yellow cards: Ash Baker 45’, Jon Routledge 51’, Ryan Astles 90+3’.
Bala Town: Harri Lloyd, Sean Smith, Nathan Peate, Anthony Stephens, Lassana Mendes, Kieran Smith, Paul Rutherford (Danny Walker-Rice 90+4’), Dave Edwards (Ollie Shannon 65’), Bradley Bauress (Chris Sang 85’), Oliver Southern, Chris Venables.
Goals: Chris Venables 17’.
Yellow cards: Sean Smith 90’.
The New Saints manager Anthony Limbrick said to The Sport Report:
“It was stressful, and I’ll tell you what, it was stressful because Bala were excellent in the first half.”
“They were much the better side and did a tactical job on us, and ran all over us I would say.
“We changed it at half time and fitness then came into it, and credit to the lads because they won in a different type of way.
“It has been one of our toughest nights, we have had to change it, but we found a way to win and sometimes you have to do that.”
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