The Saints beat Cardiff Met 3-1 at Cyncoed Campus - their fourth successive victory in all competitions - to further flex their title credentials following the shock of being thumped by Briton Ferry Llansawel on the opening day of the campaign.
That said, they would have still found themselves among the chasing pack had striker Adam Davies' last-gasp goal not been, seemingly incorrectly, ruled out for offside as Penybont inflicted a first defeat of the campaign on Caernarfon Town.
The Canaries have been the surprise package of the season so far, earning huge wins against the likes of Llanelli Town, Flint Town United and Briton Ferry while demonstrating a real mettle when falling behind in games - a trait shown from day one as they drew 2-2 at Cardiff Met.
While luck may have been on their side at the death in north Wales, Penybont again showed they are well equipped to at the very least apply pressure on the Saints.
Rhys Griffiths will clearly need veteran striker Chris Venables to deliver the goods once more while the likes of former Newport midfielder Nathan Wood and ex-Cardiff young gun James Crole must be at the forefront for a side who are clearly lacking when it comes to depth - with Griffiths naming himself on the bench for last weekend's win over Caernarfon.
Quality could well be enough to earn runner-up spot this season, but one would be fair to suspect that the lack of quantity could be damaging for those hoping a trophy will be brought to the DragonBet Stadium at some stage over the coming months.
As for those in yellow and green, it was also telling that while watching Caernarfon's contest with Penybont, TNS boss Craig Harrison, albeit jokingly, was asked about the possibility of recalling loan duo Sion Bradley and Josh Lock from their spells with the Cofis at some stage this term if Richard Davies' outfit remained in the title race.
Fans can somewhat romantically dream of the likes of Penybont and Caernarfon competing with The New Saints until the bitter end of the league campaign.
But for the majority of the league's followers, the last week was simply a case of natural order being restored.
The New Saints followed up their win against Cardiff Met by putting four goals past Flint Town United in midweek in a 4-1 victory, with Jordan Williams netting the opener.
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Caernarfon kept in touch with the top – and are only behind TNS on goal difference – after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Connah’s Quay.
Penybont were grateful to Crole in midweek as he smashed a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Cardiff Met, which kept Penybont third.
But the Saints are the ones surging fastest and that’s a worry for the rest.
Having reached 400 games in charge of the Saints earlier this month, Harrison uttered words that will have undoubtedly struck fear into each of the other 11 sides currently in the top-flight of Welsh domestic football.
"I love football, I love my job and I feel very privileged to work within football. I've been in professional football since I was 15 years old and I want to be in there for a lot longer as well," Harrison told Sgorio.
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The former Middlesbrough, Preston and Crystal Palace defender is seeking a 10th league title as manager of TNS this season, and with no European football to contend with for the remainder of the campaign, few would bet against the Cymru Premier trophy being lifted at Park Hall once again next year.
So, despite the early jabs from the likes of Caernarfon and Penybont, TNS's strength and quality once again looks set to shine through, and could well do so for many years to come given that the flame remains well and truly lit for the man who has delivered a league title in each of the nine seasons he has managed at Park Hall to date.
READ MORE: Those Who Wrote off The New Saints After Shock First Defeat May Have to Re-Think
