Harris seeks more Euro success for New Saints

THE New Saints chairman Mike Harris has set last season's record-breaking run in Europe - when his Welsh champions played 14 matches in reaching the group stages of the Uefa Conference League as the minimum standard for the new season.

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Having clinched a domestic treble - including a 17th JD Cymru Premier title - TNS went into the Champions League first qualifying round draw in Switzerland yesterday (after The Herald went to press).

As one of the 14 seeded sides in the draw, potential opponents were Inter Club d’Escaldes (Andorra), Shkëndija (North Macedonia), FCI Levadia (Estonia), Dinamo Minsk (Belarus), Hamrun Spartans (Malta), Kairat (Kazakhstan), Milsami Orhei (Moldova), Noah (Armenia), Differdange 03 (Luxembourg), Iberia 1999 (Georgia), Víkingur (Faroe Islands), Shelbourne (Republic of Ireland), Egnatia (Albania) or Virtus (San Marino).

Last year Craig Harrison's men beat Montenegran side FK Decic 3-0 at home in their first Champions League game and secured a trip into the second qualifying round with a 1-1 draw in the second leg.

That earned them a game against Hungarian giants Ferencvaros.

That ended in a 7-1 defeat over two legs and pushed the Welsh club into the Europa League.