THE New Saints left it oh so late before seeing-off Gap Connah's Quay 3-0 at Park Hall.

With four minutes left on the clock, the game looked headed for a stalemate as the Nomads' rearguard action continued to frustrate the hosts.

But the deadlock was finally broken when Chris Marriott's pinpoint cross from the left found Steve Abbott who headed past keeper Terry McCormick into the far corner.

Within a minute, the game was up for the visitors as sub Ryan Marriott fed Scott Ruscoe, whose cross-cum-shot flew over the hapless keeper and into the top corner.

And to rub salt into the wounds, Marriott again provided for Abbott to snatch his second deep into stoppage time with a looping header that just crept over the line.

Chances had earlier been hard to come by, with the Saints' final delivery often letting them down.

Matthew Berkeley had headed over the bar in the first minute, but it was another 20 before Chris Seargeant's shot flew just wide of the far post.

McCormick made a good save from a Seargeant free-kick, but Paul Harrison had to be alert at the other end to divert Alan Hooley's shot for a corner from a Craig Jones pass.

Saints were denied a penalty in the second half after Abbott was brought down by Andy Alston and it took a last-ditch Ben Alston tackle to stop Berkeley when he broke clear.

TNS had a couple of anxious moments when Jamie Petrie twice fired wide before Abbott settled the Saints' nerves.

Report, photo and stats courtesy of welsh-premier.com