FORMER Wrexham defender Blaine Hudson and ex-Chester stopper Ryan Astles could do a job at a much higher level, according to their current New Saints boss Scott Ruscoe.

TNS haven’t conceded a goal in a seven-match winning run that continued by knocking champions Connah’s Quay Nomads off top spot on Tuesday night.

Hudson also had a spell at Chester alongside Astles and the pairing have more than pleased Saints boss Ruscoe and his assistant - the former Wales and Wrexham defender Steve Evans.

Ruscoe, talking about the aerial threat Nomads posed at Park Hall in midweek, said: “You know its coming down your throat.

“It’s always good to have Blaine around. When you have Blaine and Astles - two of the best centre backs in the league, not just at our level. But when you put them as a pair – even in a higher division, they’ll sort teams out.”

Aberystwyth have the unenviable task of breaking through the Saints barrier tonight at Park Avenue while Nomads will need to bounce back to winning ways in front of the TV cameras at Barry Town United tomorrow.

Nomads boss Andy Morrison wants his players to put their midweek disappointment behind them and produce another eye-catching performance on the south Wales coast.

Cymru Premier champions Nomads suffered a 1-0 defeat against The New Saints in their top of the table clash at Park Hall.

However, Morrison’s depleted side dominated for large spells and created a host of chances but Saints scored the only goal to inflict a first defeat of the campaign on Nomads.

But rather than dwell on the defeat, Morrison, whose side had registered six successive league wins before losing to last season’s runners-up, remains upbeat.

And he wants Nomads to give another good account of themselves at Jenner Park..

“The players we have got to come back in, we are in a really healthy position,” said Morrison. “Did I think we could go and do a job? I thought we could come and ask massive questions of them but I didn’t expect that, to absolutely dominate the game.

“But I can’t go away and say ‘that is brilliant, that is enough to go to them and dominate them’. It is not enough. We are the champions of this league and it showed why we are the champions.

“We have got to keep working hard and make sure we are better in those final moments.

“The changing room is really disappointed but we are going to get ready and go to Barry and if we do as well as that, we will ask many questions.”

Barry were thrashed 4-0 at Bala on Wednesday with Chris Venables hitting a hat-trick and Will Evans also on target. Bala will look to continue that form at Newtown.