The New Saints manager Scott Ruscoe believes his side have the clear advantage with the JD Cymru Premier title race set to reignite this weekend.
The New Saints have a narrow lead at the top of the table with all 12 clubs in action on Saturday for the first time since December.
Defending champions Connah’s Quay sit in second-place, three points behind Saints, but with a game in-hand.
The New Saints wound up their preparations for the re-start with practice matches against Stoke City’s U23s and Bangor City, as they geared up for Saturday’s late televised game against third-placed Bala Town.
“We’ve had two and a half months of training and really focusing on what we need to do,” explained Ruscoe.
“Some teams may have gone three or four weeks without training but we’ve been in all this time, so that’s a big factor for us.”
“Are any other teams going to train as hard as us and do as much as us? No, they’re not, so you can say we’ve got the advantage.
“It’s no good being in [training] four or five times a week if you’re not going to get the players up to where they need to be,” he said.
Striker Adam Roscrow could make his debut for The New Saints, who have a clean bill of health with the exception of Ryan Brobbel, who has recently returned to training following surgery.
Chris Venables scored the equalising goal for Bala to hold The New Saints to a 1-1 draw in their meeting earlier this season.
Bala have never won at Park Hall and Ruscoe has challenged his players to prove themselves again in their title push.
“I’d rather be at the top than second or third – it gives you that edge and that steely determination to say, ‘Right lads, you’re there on what you’ve done earlier in the season – but you’ve got to earn it again now and stay there’.”
The Nomads will resume their title defence at home to Newtown with several new faces available to manager Andy Morrison.
Defenders Tom Moore and Danny Hunt, Australian goalkeeper Kai Calderbank-Park, midfielder Douglas Thame and winger Rio Glean have all been drafted in since Connah’s Quay were last in competitive action, although defensive lynchpin Priestley Farquharson has swopped the surroundings of the Cymru Premier for League 2 with Newport County.
Former Crystal Palace, Bolton and Leicester City midfielder Neil Danns scored for Connah’s Quay as they wrapped up their warm-up schedule against Airbus UK Broughton midweek.
The 38-year old Guyanese international became Morrison’s latest addition at the Deeside Stadium earlier this week and the Nomads boss says the midfielder’s quality and experience could prove key as the title race heats up.
“It’s not about numbers – it’s about quality and Neil brings great quality and great experience for when those games gets a bit tasty later on and it’s a big high pressure game,” he said.
“When they come along you want experience, you want legs, you want people that have been at and played at a level where that game won’t phase them and Neil’s come in and signed until the end of the season and I’m absolutely delighted.”
Saturday’s JD Cymru Premier fixtures (2.30 unless stated):
Caernarfon Town v Aberystwyth, Connah’s Quay v Newtown, Cefn Druids v Barry Town, Haverfordwest v Cardiff Met, Flint Town United v Penybont, The New Saints v Bala Town (5.00, live on Sgorio)
Image courtesy of The New Saints
