![Matty Williams a Scott Ruscoe yn brwydro efo Matias Suarez [Llun: Gareth Hughes]](/sgorio/sites/default/files/image/williamsruscoe_anderlecht480.jpg)
The New Saints have a mountain to climb if they are to progress in the Champions League after a 1-3 loss to Anderlecht at The Racecourse, Wrexham on Tuesday night.
But the Welsh champions can be proud of their 1st leg performance and Craig Jones’ goal early in the second half has given the Saints a glimmer of hope for the 2nd leg in Belgium.
The Belgian champions scored two early goals through, Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Legear as if to emphasise the difference in class between themselves and the Bohemians side beaten by The New Saints in the previous round.
But despite being buoyed by Jones’ early second half goal, Anderlecht ensured they return to Belgium with a two goal cushion thanks to a Matias Suarez headed goal on 73 minutes.
It was the Belgian champions who had all the early play, pressuring The New Saints defence from the very first minute as Olivier Deschacht’s strike hit the bar before Mbark Boussoufa forced Paul Harrison into an excellent early save.
And it wasn’t long before Anderlecht breached the Saints’ defence as American international, Kljestan, netted a Suarez cross after just seven minutes.
The visitors doubled their lead 11 minutes later as Legear’s cross-cum-shot looped over Harrison and was adjudged to have crossed the line much to the Saints players’ dismay.
Despite the early set back, the Saints refused to give up and inspirational captain, Steve Evans, went close with a shot which looped over the bar just before the half hour.
Jones almost brought the Saints back into the game before the break following intelligent build up play by Tommy Holmes and Chris Sharp, but the young winger’s header was just wide.
Jones made up for his miss early in the second half as he brought the Welsh champions back into the game, converting a Scott Ruscoe cross to the delight of the majority of the 2,486 present.
But unfortunately for the Saints, Suarez restored Anderlecht’s two goal cushion as poor marking allowed him plenty of time and space to head Legear’s free kick beyond Harrison.
The New Saints: Paul Harrison, Danny Holmes, Chris Marriott (Tommy Holmes 21′), Phil Baker, Steve Evans, Scott Ruscoe, Barry Hogan, Chris Sharp (Alex Darlington 84′), Matty Williams, Craig Jones, Matthew Berkeley (Chris Seargeant 78′).
Goal: Jones 52′
Unused subsitutues: Simon Williams, John McKenna, Jamie Wood, Aeron Edwards.
Anderlecht: Silvio Proto, Ondrej Mazuch (Jan Lecjaks 83′), Olivier Deschacht, Lucas Biglia, Matias Suarez (Tom de Sutter 76′), Mbark Boussoufa, Jonathan Legear, Cheikhou Kouyate, Sacha Kljestan (Kanu 87′), Roland Juhasz, Guillaume Guillet.
Yellow card: Boussoufa 64′
Goals: Kljestan 7′, Legear 18′, Suarez 73′
Unused substitutes: Davy Schollen, Thomas Chatelle, Lukas Marecek, Nemanja Rnic.
Attendance: 2,486
Referee: Darko Ceferin (Slovenia).
