Smith’s a star man as Saints march on
LEO Smith is turning into a real hot-shot for The New Saints with back-to-back goals in the Europa Conference League helping them reach the second qualifying round this week.
The former Wrexham academy player scored a wonder goal in Belfast in the 1-1 draw in the first leg against big-spending Glentoran and then struck again at Park Hall in a magnificent 2-0 home win.
That made it two goals in as many minutes in a purple patch in the first half and gave the limited number of home fans admitted to the ground for the first time in more than a year something to sing and shout about.
Where new boy Declan McManus led from the penalty spot, Smith followed a minute later with what was his fourth goal in as many matches to confirm his return to peak form. The reward for the Saints is a trip to the second largest city in Lithuania, Kaunas, to meet Kauno Zalgiris on Tuesday (5pm).
“Glentoran were a difficult team to play against and I thought we played better at home than we did last week. We were passing the ball very well and attacking really well so I’m hopeful we can take this form into the game in Lithuania next week,” said Smith.
“I felt like I needed to make a good impression because I wasn’t playing much at all at the end of last season.
“It’s great to have been able to score four goals in four games.
“It was disappointing at the time when I wasn’t playing and I’ve been desperate to bounce back. Hopefully, this performance shows I deserve to keep my place in the team.
“I think the second goal was hugely important. Being only 1-0 up meant the game was still in the balance but the second goal pulled a lot of pressure off our shoulders.
“We dealt well with all the pressure on us, as we had done in Belfast, and we defended brilliantly once again. “They even had a bit of luck for their goal, which came from a deflection and then went in off the keeper.”
While Saints boss Anthony Limbrick has been delighted with the return to peak form of Smith, he will also have been pleased to see his new £60,000 striker McManus keep his nerve and notch his first goal for the club on debut from the penalty spot.
There are high hopes for the former Scotland U21 cap as Saints seek to stop Connah’s Quay Nomads making it a hat-trick of JD Cymru Premier titles.
Limbrick also gave another of his summer signings, Jordan Williams, a first chance to impress and it was a foul on him that earned the penalty.
Bala Town were beaten 1-0 at Larne FC, while Newtown also bowed out at the same stage.
It means TNS and Connah’s Quay Nomads, who drop down from the Champions League after their extra-time defeat by a single goal to the Armenian champion FC Alashkert, are the only Welsh league teams left in Europe and they both face away trips in the first leg next week. Nomads head to Kosovo to meet FC Prishtina.