By Matthew Burgess
Welsh Premier League hopefuls Barry Town were taught a harsh lesson in the Nathaniel MG Cup final after a late flurry of goals saw TNS run out 4-0 winners.
Just a week after their World Record was ended, TNS have sent out a timely reminder to any club daring to challenge their crown.
Barry Town meanwhile will take heart from a performance in which they evidenced they are now a Welsh Premier League-quality outfit in all but name.
The New Saints were frustrated by well-drilled Barry until the 78th-minute, when super-sub Chris Seargeant finally broke the deadlock on an afternoon in which he would claim a hat-trick.
Adrian Cieslewicz doubled the Saints’ lead just minutes later to leave Barry Town’s hopes of an upset in tatters.
Seargeant then fired in two more as TNS reclaimed the trophy for a third-straight year as their stranglehold on Welsh domestic football continues.
Barry Town approached the game knowing that a win would confirm the biggest shock in the 25-year history of competition and the Welsh League side attempted to get off to the perfect start when lively centre-forward TJ Nagi forced two corners in the opening minutes.
TNS quickly settled however, adopting their patent probing football deep in Barry Town’s half.
Ryan Brobbel and Ryan Pryce combined well down the left to tee-up Alex Darlington but his attempt was denied and scrambled clear, giving the Barry Town defence an early test of their resolve.
Brobbel’s playmaking abilities would become a constant menace to Barry for the duration, with the match being his latest notable display, in what has been a particularly impressive campaign from the 23-year-old.
As TNS continued to apply pressure, Greg Draper went close but found Mike Lewis equal to the Saints’ slick movement as he tipped the ball around the post, and Barry defender Chris Hugh was well-placed to cut out Aeron Edwards’ point-blank header to keep the scores level going into the break.
The half-time introduction of Scott Quigley and Chris Sergeant by TNS had little impact on their attacking fortune as Barry Town continued to defend boldly in the second-period.
Edwards was able to pull the trigger with the goal at his mercy as TNS fizzed the ball through the area but Hugh again did well to anticipate the danger with a goal line clearance.
The game threatened to take an unlikely twist in the 69th-minute as Barry Town carved out arguably the best chance of the game, when a swift break upfield saw Jordan Cotterril crash a right-footed curling effort against the crossbar from 18-yards.
The game would swing into TNS’s favour completely however shortly afterwards as Barry Town eventually succumb to the Oswestry-side’s quality.
Seargeant demonstrated his class with a well-executed side-footed finish after Brobbel did well to pick the midfielder out with a neat cut-back.
Brobbel and Seargeant combined to devastating effect once again moments later but this time Cieslewicz was the beneficiary as he latched on and fired past Lewis.
The game was well and truly put out of the sight when Chris Seargeant had time to compose himself and finish with confidence, giving TNS a three-goal advantage.
And Seargeant wound things up by completing his hat-trick, with a long-range attempt deflecting in past Lewis as TNS add to their ever-growing list of honours.
The New Saints FC 4 Christian Seargeant 78′ 84′ 89′ Adrian Cieselwicz 80’
Barry Town United 0 –
The New Saints FC: 1. Paul Harrison, 3. Chris Marriott, 6. Jon Routledge, 8. Ryan Brobbel, 9. Greg Draper (22. Scott Quigley 46′), 15.Steve Saunders, 16. Connell Rawlinson, 20. Alex Darlington (7. Christian Seargeant 46′), 21. Adrian Cieselwicz (14. Jamie Mullan 87′), 23. Aeron Edwards, 26. Ryan Pryce
Subs not used: 30. Andy Wycherley (gk), 4. Phil Baker, 24. Jacob Farleigh, 27. James Jones
Barry Town United: 1. Michael Lewis, 2. Paul Morgan (18. James Dixon 81′), 3. Chris Hugh, 4. Luke Cooper, 5. Ryan Evans, 6. James Saddler, 8. Curtis Watkins, 9. TJ Nagi, 10. Jordan Cotterill, 11. Drew Fahiya (14. Callum Sainty 81′), 16. Michael Hartley (7. Louis Gerrard 74′)
Subs not used: 12. Dan Bradley (gk), 20. Bobby Briers, 23. Kieran Cotterill, 24. Callum Flynn
Attendance: 1116 Referee: Iwan Griffith