TNS head coach Craig Harrison insisted the club could look forward to the remainder of their UEFA Conference campaign following an historic 2-0 defeat at Fiorentina last night (Thursday).

The JD Cymru Premier champions frustrated the Italian giants for an hour before two quickfire goals broke their resistance.

However, the Oswestry club left Tuscany with their heads held high, having elevated their own status as well as firmly putting Welsh football on the European football map.

Harrison said he was even slightly disappointed to have lost to last season's beaten finalists.

“What supersedes that is how extremely proud I am of the players, staff and everyone involved because we’ve come to a massive football club - bigger than we’ve ever played before - and put in an extremely professional performance,” said Harrison.

“Our first game at this level and we’ve proven tonight we well and truly deserve to be there. We’re looking forward to what the next five games bring.

Action from TNS' clash against Fiorentina. OTHER NEWS:

“I’m very proud. We didn’t want to come here and get beat, but a lot of bigger clubs than us have come here and got beat by heavier amounts. I’m proud of everyone involved for getting us to where we are, and we really gave a good account of ourselves tonight.”

Harrison underlined the importance of the result with Welsh club results in Europe often criticised over the past two decades.

Action from TNS' clash against Fiorentina. (Image: Brian Jones.)
Harrison said: "When we play European football we’re very conscious and very proud of that, perhaps knowing that those who wish to criticise the Welsh system have often found justification in European results.

“We want to improve, we want to help up the standards, to bring a lot of people who don’t want to – whether it is ignorance, lack of time or being obsessed with other leagues – that the Cymru Premier is a league worth coming to watch.”

Harrison's sentiments were echoed by captain Danny Redmond.

He said: “We’re a bit disappointed. We worked very hard all game and to concede two goals so close together, it was a bit scrappy. But I’m very proud of the lads, it was a massive shift and it just shows our togetherness as a team. We can take a lot from that.”

Action from TNS' clash against Fiorentina. (Image: Brian Jones.) Striker Declan McManus believed the Saints even had a chance of progressing from the group.

“We definitely have a chance of getting there if we play at our best, but that’s always been the case," he said. "We knew on paper this was our hardest game, albeit with five really hard games to come, but we know if we can go toe-to-toe with a team that’s been in the final two years running we can go and hurt anybody on our day.”

“We showed some real steel against a side who are astronomical in size compared to ourselves, but we held our own for 65 minutes. I’m proud of every single one in the dressing room. Sides like that can just take it up that notch, and we will always be wary of that."

McManus also believed the result would silence at least some of Welsh domestic football's detractors.

He said: “For outsiders looking in, it’s probably easy to say it’s not much of a league, but tonight’s shown it’s not the case and it should do wonders for the league."