Conference League: Why The New Saints’ landmark win meant so much

There was no shortage of emotion at the final whistle. Unsurprisingly so given that, for all the domestic success, this level had long eluded the 16-time Welsh champions.

But after the romanticism of beginning their groundbreaking first campaign at a European group stage away to Fiorentina, this was the realism of needing a result.

Although Opta had last month predicted it would take nine points to have a good chance of reaching the play-offs in the revamped Champions League, TNS manager Craig Harrison believed it was different in the Conference League.

Although the format is the same – 36 teams, eight qualifying automatically and the next 16 into the play-offs – Harrison revealed before the game his staff had done their own statistical analysis.

“We think that seven points may be enough to qualify with a good goal difference,” said Harrison after collecting the first three of his target. “There will be some so-called minnows in this competition who will get beat by four or five. We lost 2-0 in Fiorentina and that could be the difference between getting through to the top 24.

“I think seven points and a good goal difference will do. Eight points definitely. If we get seven points we’d be really disappointed if we didn’t make that top 24.”

With so many teams and so little between them after two matchdays, it is hard to see whether the sums will add up.

But, if he is right, then their remaining four fixtures suddenly look like there is a chance of knock-out football few would have predicted. After facing two sides seeded above them, it is a trip to fellow pot four side Shamrock Rovers next (7 November) and a home tie with Sweden’s Djurgarden (28 November), before the group wraps up with winless fifth seeds Panathinaikos and then bottom pot side Celje in Slovenia.