The New Saints 0-3 Dundee FC ( att : 508 ) – 2022/23 Scottish Challenge Cup

September 23, 2022

The Scottish Challenge Cup is an unusual competition in that although it was initially run for sides in the Scottish Football League below their Premiership, since 2016/17 sides from other countries have been invited to participate. This year there are two sides from Northern Ireland ( Linfield and Cliftonville ) and two from Wales ( The New Saints and Caernafon Town ). The 2019/20 competition additionally featured two sides from the Republic of Ireland and two from England’s National Conference, but the final was cancelled due Covid.

The defending champions are Raith Rovers, but no “foreign” clubs participated in last season’s competition due to Covid. Connah’s Quay Nomads are the only non-Scottish side to reach the final, but were beaten by Ross County in 2018/19.

The 2022/23 Cup started in early August with 4 sides each from the Highland and Lowland Leagues, 11 Under 21 sides from the Premier League ( Ross County declined to enter a side ) plus the bottom three sides in the 2021/22 Scottish League entering the First Round. The winners were joined in the Second Round by the remaining 7 sides from League Two and bottom two from League One.

Round 3 is being played this week-end, where the Championship sides and the 8 other League One sides join the action, together with the entrants from Wales and Northern Ireland.

Once upon a time, The New Saints were known as Total Network Solutions, after the name of the Communications company of their club owner, but they where usually referred to as TNS. They achieved some level of national attention thanks to Sky’s Soccer Saturday presenter Jeff Stelling, who would regularly acclaim after their victories “They’ll be dancing in the streets of Total Networks Solutions tonight !”

When Total Network Solutions were acquired by British Telecom in 2006 a new name was required, eventually settling for The New Saints to retain the TNS acronym. The full name of the club is The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, but that is a bit of a mouthful !

The side were originally located in the Welsh village of Llansantffraid but in 2003 they merged with English club Oswestry Town, who also were members of the League of Wales, and moved to Oswestry’s Park Hall Stadium. Consequently, they remained in the Welsh League structure but physically play in England. Since the League of Wales, now the Cymru Premier, was formed in 1992, TNS have been the most successful side, winning 14 titles and rarely finishing outside the top two.

I have seen TNS play on one occasion, attending a Europa League match against Fram Reykjavik in 2009, where they lost 1-2 in front of 933 spectators. We parked in a field close to the ground, but were unable to get a drink at the stadium, apparently due to UEFA regulations, and everyone had to watch from one side of the ground, where the view wasn’t that good. Fram had a young English player, Sam Tillen, in their side, who scored the winning penalty for his side. Before the game we were fortunate to have a brief chat with his father, who had come from London to see his lad play, and learn he had been a junior at Chelsea and then played a couple of seasons for Brentford before moving to Iceland.

I have two seen two other matches in the Welsh pyramid, having seen Barry Town play Bangor City in 2000/01 and Porthmadog vs Airbus UK in 2006/07.

TNS went into today’s fixture sitting at the top of the Cymru Premier, with 5 wins and a draw from their 6 matches. The draw came on the opening day, being held 0-0 at Newtown, but they have chalked up 5 consecutive wins since, including a 2-1 home win over main rivals Connah’s Quay Nomads.

TNS have already had experience of playing foreign opponents this season, first losing to Linfield in the Champions League after extra time in the second leg in Belfast ( H 1-0, A 0-2 ), conceding the equalizer in the 94^th minute, and then exited the Europa Conference at the hands of Icelandic side Vikingur, being unable to overturn a 0-2 deficit from their trip to Reykjavik, being held 0-0 at home.

TNS have averaged home attendances of 281 so far this season, although they attracted 1,034 for the visit of Linfield, and 537 for the game against Vikingur.

Dundee have a rich history, and once were able to attract players of the calibre of Argentinian star Claudio Caniggia, although they were relegated from the Scottish Premiership at the end of last season. They haven’t set the Championship alight yet this season, possessing a modest 3-1-3 record to be in 5^th place.  The defeats have been to Partick Thistle ( H 1-3 ), Ayr United ( A 1-3 ) and Inverness Caledonian Thistle ( H 2-3 ).

Dundee have though, under ex-Blackburn, Blackpool and Bradford manager Gary Bowyer, who was appointed during the summer, progressed to the Quarter Finals of the League Cup, where they have a trip to Ibrox to face Rangers.

Dundee have won the Scottish title just once, in 1961/62 and inspired by Alan Gilzean, they beat Koln, Sporting Lisbon and Anderlecht to reach the Semi-Final of the European Cup, where they were eliminated by Milan.

Tickets for today’s match ranged from £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £25 for hospitality, although TNS only charge £8 for Cymru Premier matches.

The journey from Dundee to Oswestry is approximately 330 miles, which takes between 5 and half hours to six hours by road.

Bet365 made Dundee marginal favourites at 7/5, with TNS at 31/20 and the draw at 5/2. Not so long ago, a leading Scottish side would have been short-priced favourites against a Welsh or Irish side, but Motherwell lost both ties to Sligo Rovers in this season’s Europa Conference and only eliminated Coleraine on penalties last year, and Connah’s Quay Nomads eliminated Kilmarnock from the 2019/20 Europa League. Clearly the gulf in class has significantly narrowed, probably through a rise in standards in Wales and Ireland, and a drop in standards in Scotland below the Old Firm.

The weather at the 20.00 local time kick-off was dry, with the temperature around 12 degrees. Although BBC Alba have the rights to the competition, S4C have rights for the games involving Welsh clubs, so this match was free to watch on S4C and via their website. Obviously, the main commentary was in Welsh, with ex-Welsh international Malcolm Allen one of the experts, although commentary in English was available via the red button on the TV, but not on the website.

The TNS starting line-up included just three Welshman, together with 4 Englishmen, two players from Northern Ireland, a Scot and a Pole. In contrast, Dundee fielded 8 Scots, two Englishmen and an Irishman.

Dundee were in their traditional dark blue shirts with white shorts, with TNS playing in their usual green and white hoops and green shorts. Kick-off was delayed slightly, whilst the ground staff attempted to put out a flare thrown onto the pitch.

When the game eventually started, Dundee lost possession near half-way in the first minute, and TNS spread the ball wide to ex-Wrexham and Faroe Islands B36 Torshavn Polish striker Adrian Cieslewicz on the left wing, but after skipping past full-back Kerr, his cross flashed across the face of the goal without a team-mate getting onto the end of it.

However, after this brief threat, Dundee got to work and dominated the next 10 minutes, winning 5 corners in the process. During this time, it looked like they were going to overwhelm the home side, as first Paul McGowan’s clever pass looked to have put Lyall Cameron through but former Welsh Under 21 keeper Connor Roberts saved bravely at his feet.

After 9 minutes, Paul McMullan sent an 18 yard shot heading to the bottom corner, but Roberts was equal to the challenge and tipped the ball round the post for a corner. On loan Rangers midfielder Ben Williamson was at the hub of most of Dundee’s pressure, and veteran Irish striker Cillian Sheridan ( ex-Celtic, Jagiellona Bialystok, CSKA Sofia and Wisla Plock amongst others ) combined showing good lay-offs and first touches whilst looking like he could be auditioning for the next Pirates of The Caribbean movie !

The TNS defence managed to hold firm, and gradually they got a foothold in to the match, and won their first corner in the 13^th minute.

The TV cameras focused on Gordon Strachan sitting in the crowd, no doubt hoping his grandson Luke would come off the substitutes bench at some point for Dundee, which he finally did with 6 minutes remaining for his first competitive game for Dundee.

With nearly 20 minutes played, Dundee left back Jordan Marshall got to the by-line and fired a low cross into the danger zone but after TNS left-back Marriott missed his clearance the ball rolled to safety.

TNS were growing in confidence, and insisted in playing passing moves out of defence under pressure rather than taking the safe option of occasionally playing the ball long, and clearly looked to be used to the artificial grass surface. Indeed, they created their best move to the game to date in the 26^th minute when a raking pass from the right touch-line put Cleslewicz behind his full-back, and after laying off to Marriott, the pass to Dan Williams saw the on-loan Swansea man midfielder’s shot deflected over the bar for a corner.

Two minutes later, TNS managed to get the ball in the net, but after a long ball down the right channel, Daniels lobbed the Dundee keeper, but the goal was chalked off for offside. At first sight Daniels looked to have been a yard or two offside but the TV replays looked inconclusive, and there is no VAR in this competition.

With 30 minutes gone, TNS played themselves into trouble as they passed around the back-four, and were forced to concede a corner. From the set-piece, the ball reached McMullan, but he failed to make a decent contact, and the TNS keeper was able to dive onto the bouncing ball. However, that was McMullan’s last significant involvement as after 34 minutes he had to leave the field with an injury.

TNS finished the half-strongly. Daniels cut-inside Dundee left-back Marshall but the promising move was curtailed by a cynical foul. However, Dundee defended the dangerous free-kick well and were able to clear their lines. TNS then had an impressive passing movement of close to 20 passes which ended with Cieslewicz winning a corner.

Finally, a lovely pass with the outside of his left-foot by Redmond gave Cieslewicz a sight of goal but his finish was poor, and sailed harmlessly high over the bar.

Half-time arrived with the game still goal-less, with TNS looking the technically more skilful, better passing side, but they had created very little. Dundee, on the other hand, had been more direct, looked physically stronger and certainly appeared dangerous in the opening stages.

After the first half performances, Bet365 had reduced the odds on a TNS victory to 13/10, whilst Dundee had drifted to a scarcely believable 3/1. The bookies odd-makers would have been cursing three minutes into the second half as TNS shot themselves in the foot.

Keeper Roberts was forced to play a ball close to the right-hand goal-line but rather than launch into the Dundee half, he aimed an ambitious ball to right-back Daniels. Unfortunately for him, the pass lacked quality and Marshall had anticipated to intercept, and then nut-megged Daniels to have space on the left wing to pick out the unmarked Sheridan, to give the Irish striker a simple header into the unguarded net to give the Dark Blues the lead. The striker’s muted celebration suggested the final touch might have actually come-off TNS centre-back Ryan Astles. Whatever the case, Dundee led 1-0.

It got worse for the Welsh side two minutes later when careless play again gifted possession to Dundee, and after a series of first-time passes involving Anderson, Sheridan, Williamson and Robinson, the ball was laid off to Kerr to shoot for goal. Although his effort was weak, Cameron was on hand to steer into the far corner of the net from around 8 yards.

Dundee were threatening to run away with the tie, and Kerr’s glancing header from a free-kick went just over the bar.

TNS eventually attempted to get back into the contest, and after a good move put Daniels in space on the right, his low cross was back-heeled by Declan McManus but struck a defender and went off for a corner. Unlike his namesake Elvis Costello, his aim wasn’t true !

A minute later substitute Jordan Williams sent a 25 yard shot in the direction of the bottom corner, but ex-Derby, Burton and Birmingham keeper Adam Legzdins dived to tip past the post for a corner. From the set-piece, Astles was left all alone at the back post, but his downward header bounced up and struck the bar before rebounding to safety.

After missing this guilt-edge chance, TNS seemed to realise it wasn’t going to be their day, and rarely threatened thereafter. With 15 minutes remaining they were nearly caught out again playing out from the back but managed to avoid conceding, and three minutes later Dundee substitute Rudden remarkably missed from 8 yards, mis-kicking after a flick on had looked like he had to score. Cameron then sent a 25 yard left-footed effort a few feet wide.

The closing stages of the game looked like fizzling out, but in added on time, Dundee claimed a third goal as a long ball down the right-hand channel released Robinson, who held the ball up and then laid off to Max Anderson for a left-footed finish from just inside the area to put a slightly flattering gloss to the scoreline.

Watching TNS was a bit like watching a Brighton side under Graham Potter during one of their losing runs. Plenty of nice, attractive football, rarely looking like scoring a goal, and then conceding goals with some suicidal defending in search of retaining possession rather than taking the safe option.

In contrast, Dundee played to their strengths and fully deserved their place in the next round.

There will be no dancing in the streets of Oswestry tonight !

The New Saints: Roberts – Daniels, Davies ( Davies ), Astles, Marriott – Redmond, Routledge ( Wilson ), Williams ( Smith ) – Brobbel, McManus, Cieslewicz ( Williams )

Dundee : Legzdins – Kerr, Ashcroft, McGhee, Marshall ( Sweeney ) – McMullan ( Robinson ), McGowan, Anderson, Williamson ( Robertson ), Cameron ( Strachan ) – Sheridan ( Rudden )

Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAnBXA0hVDQ