Fiorentina File: Fiorentina 2 New Saints 0/Conference League

I had never heard of the Welsh side New Saints.

I had to google them to discover they have won the Cymru  Premiership League 16 times.  They are based in Oswestry, Shropshire, and must be the first Welsh team to visit the Artemio Franch.

I was anticipating an easy victory but it was anything but. Thanks to some inspired goal keeping by their Connor Roberts, All Saints held out 0-0 until half time.

Yacine Adli scored for la Viola in the 65th minute and a couple of minutes later Moises Keane who played 31 games for Everton (only scoring two goals) made it 2-0.

Jonathan Ikoné might have made it three but Roberts defied us again.

Fiorentina are under new management as Vincenzo Italiano has left and Raffale Palladio, formerly of Monza, has taken over. It’s too early to judge him but we did beat Lazio in Serie a.

I watched the game on my iPad as I was staying in London with an art dealer friend who was more interested in Fame or Fortune – on TV at the same time.

That programme featured a picture supposedly by Canadian Impressionist Helen McColl.

Women artists’ prices have soared and international art dealer Philip Mould – whom I know both professionally and socially – said if it was indeed by McColl it could be worth £300,000. So I watched instead Fiorentina make heavy weather of New Saints.

Speaking to the guys on the National Rust sport desk we agreed that whatever the sport there are just too many competitions.

This was a Conference competition match but how that competition differs from the Europa League is not that clear except both are played on Thursday nights.