{"id":23225,"date":"2018-01-23T12:05:06","date_gmt":"2018-01-23T12:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=23225"},"modified":"2018-01-23T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2018-01-23T12:05:06","slug":"cardiff-met-dream-tns-lift-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2018\/01\/23\/cardiff-met-dream-tns-lift-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiff Met dream over as dominant TNS lift cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

EXPERIENCE won out as The New Saints crushed the dreams of Cardiff Met in the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup.<\/span>
\nTNS continued their dominance of Welsh football to lift their ninth Cup but stubborn student side Cardiff Met should be proud of their achievement.<\/span>
\nA bumper crowd of 902 at Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, provided an electric atmosphere ahead of the intriguing fixture.<\/span>
\nThe Archers were put under the cosh early on, as they repelled wave after wave of TNS attacks. A last-ditch clearance on the line prevented Met from going behind early on.<\/span>
\nFull-back Simon Spender and winger Jamie Mullan offered a constant threat down the right, skipping past the Met defence and crossing dangerously but lacking an end product.
\nAs the first-half wore on, Met began to find their feet, showing the qualities that had got them this far \u2013 being calm in possession, inventive in attack and solid at the back.<\/span>
\nOn 32 minutes, Met striker, Dan Spencer, was played in on goal and finished with aplomb. As the net rippled, the crowd erupted.\u00a0<\/span>Their celebration was soon halted however, as the linesman had deemed Spencer to be offside. <\/span>
\nThis was Met close to their best and they will have begrudged the referee as he brought the first-half to an end.\u00a0<\/span>The second-half picked up where it left off with both sides having chances early on. Aeron Edwards had the best of these chances, the elusive midfielder blazing over the bar when it seemed easier to score.<\/span>
\nTNS were beginning to show their class, and after an hour of knocking on the door, they finally found a way to break the deadlock, Jamie Mullan finishing emphatically from a tight angle. This really was a challenge now for Cardiff Met. In three previous cup final triumphs, TNS had not conceded a single goal.<\/span>
\nThe Saints threatened to put the game to bed in the final 20 minutes. First Alex Darlington powered a shot at the post before Ryan Brobbel cut in from the wing and curled an effort inches wide of the post. <\/span>
\nIt finished 1-0. Cardiff Met were no walk-overs and gave TNS are real game of it. Met can take a lot of positives back to Cardiff as well as invaluable big-game experience. <\/span>
\n