BARRY Town United's ten-month unbeaten run at Jenner Park ended on Saturday afternoon at the hands of JD Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints.

Watched by a crowd of 763, two TNS strikes in the space of three second half minutes were enough to send the Saints top of the table on goal difference, though the race for first place continues at pace, with TNS, Connah's Quay and Barry all now on 29 points.

It was a day that started in celebration, as Wales' Osian Roberts joined former Town striker Christian Doidge (now of Bolton Wanderers) in making a presentation to Gavin Chesterfield, who was marking his 400th match in the Jenner Park manager's hotseat.

As this one played out, it was counterpart Scott Ruscoe who would head back to Oswestry with the spoils, yet the popular Barry boss might well have been toasting a point at the final whistle, were it not for a pair of refereeing decisions that would ultimately be costly.

Though Saturday's match would not rank high in Chesterfield's 400 for entertainment value, few if any opposing teams in that number have posed a tougher test than TNS.

In a disjointed and sometimes scrappy first half, it was they who created the chances, with Kurtis Byrne's header forcing a point-blank save from Barry's Mike Lewis, before Aeron Edwards scuffed his right-footed effort, allowing the Town goalkeeper to gather.

While Saints ace Adrian Ciezlewicz would later try his luck from distance, the polished Polish forward's teasing curler could only connect with the pole behind the Barry goal; bouncing back onto the field in vain, as the hosts survived another scare unscathed.

In all, it was a frustrating half for Barry, who saw their fully-professional visitors eat up much of the possession, limiting the Town to precious few moments of quality in play.

Nevertheless, Chesterfield will have been content with the half-time stalemate, an impasse that, had it remained, would have sent Barry top of the JD Welsh Premier.

Knowing the significance of victory, the second half saw Saints attempt to stretch the Barry XI, orchestrating a break into the penalty area, only for Byrne to hit the side netting after Macauley Southam-Hales hurried back to effectively close him down.

It was Southam-Hales who later enjoyed Barry's best chance, drifting forward as part of a well-worked team attack involving Robbie Patten, Jordan Cotterill and latterly Touray, who set up Southam-Hales for a tight strike well saved by Saints skipper Paul Harrison.

Unfortunately, Touray's match would end in disappointment and, after having already received a soft booking in the dying moments of the first half, his 75th-minute pull on the Saints' Simon Spender was deemed enough to warrant a second, a red and a penalty.

Stepping up to take on the spot-kick would be prolific goalscorer Greg Draper, the Kiwi international having barely been on the field for five minutes after replacing Kane Lewis.

Hitting his shot straight and central, some supporters thought Barry goalkeeper Mike Lewis had done enough to save it, having connected with a trailing hand while diving.

However, Draper's drive proved powerful enough to destroy the deadlock in favour of the champions, putting ten-man Barry a goal behind with less than 15 minutes to play.

Upbeat, up-field and back at the top of the Welsh Premier tree, Saints then made it two only three minutes later, capitalising on tired Town legs to put the game beyond them.

Ciezlewicz would be the instigator, whipping in a dangerous corner for newcomer Joash Nembhard to head home, the 20-year old scoring his first top flight goal in the process.

Thought Byrne and Draper might well have made it more, the result would be a 2-0 TNS away victory, stretching their own winning run at Jenner Park to four consecutive visits.

For Barry, the taste of defeat on home turf was one they had avoided since January, a remarkable streak they will hope to replicate as the push for prizes continues shortly.

With the semi-finals of the Nathaniel MG Cup taking centre stage at the weekend, Barry's next JD Welsh Premier League action is at Jenner Park on Saturday 2nd December, as Newtown provide the opposition in an evening kick-off, live on S4C.

The following Saturday, Penybont pay a visit in the JD Welsh Cup and, with home matches against both Caernarfon Town and Cardiff Met to follow across December, manager Chesterfield will be eager to make Jenner Park into a fortress once again.