The New Saints battle on historic European night before going down to Fiorentina

TNS are the first Welsh league club to progress past the qualifying rounds of a UEFA competition, and their first Europa Conference League group match threw up a daunting trip to Florence.

Fiorentina were runners-up for the past two seasons but it took them 65 minutes to find a way through the TNS defence, with Yacine Adli netting before a quick second from Moise Kean.

Connor Roberts would have expected to be a busy man in the TNS net and he produced a fine fingertip save to deny Christian Kouame in the 10th minute.

Roberts then kept out a Lucas Beltran shot at the near post and the visitors were grateful to the woodwork in the 43rd minute when Rolando Mandragora’s effort struck a post.

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Fiorentina dominated possession and Roberts was finally beaten 20 minutes into the second half, with Adli benefiting from a kind ricochet on the edge of the box after a run down the left from Jonathan Ikone before finding the bottom corner.

The game was then put beyond TNS four minutes later and again there was a touch of fortune as Matias Moreno’s strike took a big deflection and landed at the feet of former Everton striker Kean, who tapped in at the second attempt after Roberts had initially denied him.

TNS’ only real scoring chance came in the 75th minute when Declan McManus almost turned in Joshua Daniels’ ball, while at the other end Roberts kept the deficit to two with further saves from Kean and Amir Richardson.

The Cymru Premier side’s next European outing comes at home later this month against Astana.