SAINTS GET SET FOR EURO CHANCE
THE NEW SAINTS will be looking to give Macedonian champions KF Shkendija a rude awakening when the sides meet in Skopje on Tuesday night in their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round first leg tie.
The Welsh champions face a side who won the Macedonian league by a staggering 35 points last season, scoring 101 goals in the process, while they have reached the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League in each of the past two years – losing to AC Milan and Gent respectively.
The tie will be played at the Philip II Arena, which staged the UEFA Super Cup clash between Real Madrid and Manchester United last August, before the second leg at Park Hall a week on Tuesday.
TNS boss Scott Ruscoe said: “They’re a strong team with good technical players who play on the front foot.
“They didn’t really get tested in their league and I think they’re pretty confident; that’s what I hear from the press there, that they’ll go through.
“We’re seeded they’re unseeded, but I think there is a little bit of cockiness about them thinking that we’ll be no problem pushovers really.
“Opposition wise they’re probably the second toughest team we could have drawn but on our day we’ll give anyone a game.
“We’ll match anybody for effort and determination and at the end of the day we’re looking for at least one away goal to bring to Park Hall.”
In the Europa League, Connah’s Quay Nomads will be hoping for another memorable European night on Thursday when they take on Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus in the first leg of their first qualifying round tie at Rhyl’s Belle Vue ground.
Andy Morrison’s side knocked out Norwegian outfit Stabaek two years ago while 12 months ago they pulled off a stunning 1-0 win over Finnish club HJK Helsinki in the home leg before bowing out 3-1 on aggregate
Meanwhile Cefn Druids and Bala Town have both fallen at the first hurdle – losing their respective Europa League preliminary round ties.
The Druids bowed out 2-1 on aggregate against Lithuanian side FK Trakai. With the tie well poised at 1-1 heading into the second leg, a penalty just before the half-hour mark from former Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov settled the tie in Trakai’s favour.
Bala Town restored some pride, beating SP Tre Fiori of San Marino 1-0 in their second leg at Rhyl thanks to a Nathan Burke effort – but the Lakesiders still went down 3-1 overall.