Football Association of Wales

Belgian Champions Anderlecht overcame The New Saints' resistance to take control of the Champions League third qualifying tie as the slick visitors took a 3-1 first leg win at Wrexham.

The European giants' first effort came inside the opening minutes, when left-back and captain Olivier Deschacht hit the crossbar with a 30-yard shot, which 'keeper Paul Harrison got fingertips to.

But, he couldn't do anything moments later when American international Sacha Kljestan - who has played for the USA national team 24 times - opened the scoring in the seventh minute from Argentine Matias Suarez's right-wing cross.

The European giants looked extremely impressive and threatened Harrison's goal several other times before winger Jonathan Legear doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a strike from an acute angle, which rocketed off the inside stanction and was only given by the assistant referee.

The Saints were then dealt another early blow as they lost left-back Chris Marriott who suffered a knee ligament injury in the 21st minute after a brave challenge and he was replaced by Tommy Holmes, but the experienced defender slotted in well and looked impressive.

For the last five minutes of the opening half, the Saints started to play the football that they are capable of and this gave the Welsh Champions an obvious boost going into the second period. Winger Craig Jones then got the Welsh side right back into the game just minutes after the break with a clinical volley from Matt Berkeley's far-post cross.

It could well have been 3-1 half way through the second period when the lanky Anderlecht Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate had a penalty appeal turned down, when he was upended by TNS captain Steve Evans.

The Saints kept working hard for the equaliser, but against the run of play and from a soft free-kick, Suarez sealed victory for Anderlecht with 17 minutes to go with a free header from the set-piece, which looped over Harrison.