ANDY MORRISON was in bullish mood despite seeing Connah's Quay Nomads beaten 3-0 in their top of the table showdown with The New Saints.

Nomads lost control of top spot after Aeron Edwards' double, the first a stunning long range strike, and Blaine Hudson's header moved Saints to the summit.

But Morrison saw enough from his team, who are now a point off top spot, to know that they are closer to the reigning champions than they've ever been.

"I will never ever try and sugar-coat a 3-0 defeat, I will take it on the chin and move on quickly," said Morrison.

"The fact is that we've caused them more problems than they've ever been caused here and, on another day, it could have been so different.

"We are 11 games into the season and one point behind TNS. It's not about being a point behind them or five points behind them, but where are you as a club? Where are you as a group of players? How close are you?

"Are we there yet? No we're not. Are we closing the gap? Yes we definitely are. We definitely are.

"With more additions, more strength in depth and better quality, we will be asking many more questions of them."

Morrison believes Saints boss Scott Ruscoe and his coaching team might be concerned despite their home win.

"I hope they go away and I hope they really lap it up and enjoy the result, but if they don't go away and look at the performance then I think they'll be kidding themselves because on another night with the chances we've had we could have been ahead," continued Morrison.

"In the first half an hour we've locked them in and dominated, we've had countless chances with balls into the box. It was our finishing, quality and decision making in the final third that was poor.

"As always happens against TNS you get a sucker-punch. It was a fabulous finish, which you can't do much about, but we still made a poor decision. We've gone and pressed when it was easier to stay in a stronger position.

"We then have an unbelievable chance to get back in the game and 15 seconds later it is 2-0. That's what happens here.

"But I've been here many times and I've come away with 0-0's when TNS have been on another planet to my football club and my group of players.

"I've not gone away kidding myself thinking after 0-0's that I was close to them, I've looked at the reality of it.

"The reality is that we aren't a million miles away from them now.

"The scoreline is harsh, but you've got to take it on the chin and dust yourselves down."