SOME 1,405 spectators came to Jenner Park on Saturday to witness a thrilling Welsh Cup Fourth Round tie, as Barry Town United came from behind to lead the holders and Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints, before succumbing to a 5-2 defeat.

Supporters must have feared the worst when the all-conquering Saints went ahead as early as the third minute; forward Greg Draper unleashing a powerful low drive beyond Barry Town goalkeeper Dan Bradley following some excellent footwork.

However, the Town would hit back immediately; Troy Greening's smart backheel freeing Jordan Cotterill, who carried the ball forward and fired home into the bottom corner to secure a hugely popular equaliser in the space of 50 seconds.

As the rain poured down at a sodden Jenner Park, little could dampen the spirits of the home crowd, who incredibly were given even more to cheer about in the 11th minute.

Exchanging a neat one-two with skipper James Saddler, Barry's enterprising Drew Fahiya was brought down by TNS defender Simon Spender, earning the Town a free-kick on the left. It was then left to goalscorer Cotterill to whip the ball into the penalty area, where Fahiya himself leaped to head home Barry's second; and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Ultimately, the Town would lead the full-timers for around 25 minutes; with striker James Dixon almost handing Gavin Chesterfield's side a remarkable 3-1 lead when his breakaway effort was dramatically saved by TNS goalkeeper Paul Harrison.

However, the visitors' fitness and persistence would stand them in strong stead and they would eventually equalise through a bundled effort from Draper; before Aaron Edwards' close-range strike handed TNS a 3-2 half-time advantage.

Despite their possession and opportunities being severely limited after the interval, Barry remained within touching distance until almost the hour mark, when Chris Marriott gushed forward to deliver a left-footed fourth for TNS. The fifth to come would then complete the turnaround, as the Saints evaded the upset to progress to the Quarter Final stage.

Despite being beaten, it was an evening of real achievement for Barry, as Jenner Park hosted its first live televised match in more than 15 years. Barry’s boxing brothers Andrew and Lee Selby were on hand to lead out the teams, while local youngsters provided half-time entertainment and supporters manned the decks to ensure the event and TV broadcast went without a hitch.

Among the wealth of familiar faces at Jenner Park were a host of former Barry players and managers, with Wales internationals Malcolm Allen and Owain Tudor-Jones among the S4C team in attendance to cover the tie and subsequent Welsh Cup Quarter Final draw.

The full Sgorio programme from Saturday can be found on the BBC iPlayer and serves as a fitting snapshot of the club in 2016. Meanwhile, it is hoped that many of the spectators who enjoyed Saturday's action will return to Jenner Park this Saturday, as the Town continue the chase for promotion to the Welsh Premier League.

In a fixture that retains real resonance with supporters on both sides, this Saturday’s Welsh League match sees Barry entertain long-time rivals Ton Pentre, who are managed by former Town favourite Lee Phillips; a goalscorer in the famous 3-1 win over FC Porto in 2001.

Kick-off for the fixture, which could see Barry into second spot with a victory, is at 2pm, with admission on the gate at £5 and discounts for senior citizens, students and children available.

Barry: Dan Bradley, Paul Morgan, Damon Searle, Bobby Briers, Ryan Evans, James Saddler (C), Drew Fahiya, Troy Greening, TJ Nagi, Jordan Cotterill, James Dixon.

Subs used: Michael Hartley, Kareem Leigh, Louis Feeley.

Subs unused: Lewis Cosslett, Joe Massaro.