Champions League: The New Saints 0-0 Apoel Nicosia
- Published
Saints won the Welsh Cup, League Cup and Welsh Premier League for a second successive season in 2015-16
Welsh champions The New Saints denied Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia a crucial away goal in the Champions League second qualifying round first leg.
Craig Harrison's side put in a solid defensive display against a club who have reached the Champions League group stages three times.
The second leg will be held in Cyprus on Tuesday, 19 July.
Saints comfortably beat minnows Tre Penne of San Marino 5-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round.
Scott Quigley headed straight at goalkeeper Boy Waterman but the home side were forced to defend for most of the first half.
Saints were nearly punished when Connell Rawlinson's poor clearance was picked up by Tomas De Vincenti, who fired past the post.
Ryan Brobbel and Chris Seargeant had chances for Craig Harrison's side but the visitors continued to press and Paul Harrison was forced to make a fine save to deny Nuno Morais.
Inaki Astiz failed to connect with Vander's corner at the far post in stoppage time as Saints held out to deny the Cypriots an away goal.
Apoel, Cypriot champions for the past four seasons, reached the Champions League quarter finals in 2011-12, losing to Real Madrid.
Defender Phil Baker was man of the match on an evening which he equalled Saints coach Scott Ruscoe's Welsh record of 30 appearances in Europe.
New Saints director of football Craig Harrison told BBC Radio Shropshire: "I think that's the best team performance since I've been here.
"We want to win and I'm a big winner but sometimes it's not about the actual result, it's about the performance.
"Everyone did their job exactly how we prepared them to do."