April 22 – The New Saints, the 16-time JD Cymru Premier champions, have joined an elite group of clubs in world football after completing an unbeaten league season for the first time.
Dominating the Welsh first division, the side won 30 matches and drew two across the league season, joining an elite group of clubs to reach ‘invincible’ status such as Arsenal, Rangers, Porto and Juventus.
They could soon be joined by newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, who sealed a last-gasp draw versus Dortmund at the weekend to keep their unbeaten status in-tact.
Just like last year, The New Saints find themselves in a UEFA Champions League qualification spot for the upcoming season, which will put their unbeaten status to the ultimate test.
Last time out in the Champions League, they failed to make it past the first round after losing 5-1 on aggregate to Swedish side Hacken.
Speaking following the club’s 2-0 victory over rivals Connah’s Quay, head coach Craig Harrison said: “It’s a huge achievement, not simply going unbeaten, but the manner in which we’ve done so by winning so many games.
“Thirty wins and just two draws is a fantastic achievement, and the players should be very, very proud of themselves.
The club’s top scorer Brad Young, with 29 goals in all competitions, said: “It’s great to have gone unbeaten but we need to get the job done next week in the Welsh Cup final before focusing on making more history in Europe this summer.”
Having won the League Cup earlier in the season, The Saints could claim a historic unbeaten Welsh domestic treble when they take on Connah’s Quay Nomads in the JD Welsh Cup final at Newport’s County’s Rodney Parade next Sunday.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1731637530labto1731637530ofdlr1731637530owedi1731637530sni@g1731637530niwe.1731637530yrrah1731637530