RESPECTABILITY for TNS on their big Millennium Stadium date - but, if truth be known, further evidence of the desperate need for Welsh football to get the Big Three of Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham back into Europe.

And if the Football Association of Wales won't do it, Bluebirds owner Sam Hammam should take the bull by the horns himself and take UEFA to court for restraint of trade.

That's Bangor, Barry, Cwmbran and TNS out of Europe at the first stage - yet again Welsh Premier clubs hopelessly failing to make any sort of ripple on the continent.

In a way it's a bit unfair to bracket TNS with the other three.

Number one they were playing a Premiership side, as opposed to teams from Macedonia and Israel which have accounted for some of our other clubs.

Number two, if every club was as go-ahead as TNS, the Welsh Premier would be a lot stronger than it is. The village side from Llansantffraid have gone full-time and their dynamic owner Mike Harris' decision to bring this UEFA Cup second leg tie to the Millennium Stadium made it a night to remember for the little club.

But Kevin Keegan's men had already wrapped up the tie by winning 5-0 in the first leg - and the ex-England manager summed up what he thought about it by choosing to put his reserves out last night.

TNS kept City down to just two goals - at least they did a darned sight better against an English team's second string than the Welsh rugby XV did at the stadium just five days earlier.

The TNS players fully deserved the ovation they got at the end.

But the fact is TNS still lost 7-0 on aggregate. More worryingly, our proud heritage in Europe (Cardiff beating Real Madrid, Merthyr beating Atalanta, Wrexham beating Anderlecht, Swansea drawing with Panathinaikos) continues to be eroded by smaller Welsh sides losing to teams from nations Cardiff City and co could without question be beating.

It is time for the FAW, who unceremoniously dumped our Football League Big Three out of the Welsh Cup in the 1990s, to reverse that decision and actively campaign to get our better teams back into Europe via the Premier Cup.

And if they won't, someone like Hammam, who says he is here to fight the Welsh cause, should take up the cudgels on his own.

It's ridiculous. Our Big Three can't qualify for Europe via the Welsh system. Nor can they qualify via the English system, the English FA making it clear their European places are for English clubs only.

Where is the justice in that? Name me another nation in Europe whose leading teams are so penalised.

And while the stand-off continues, our results in Europe, which used to be so good in the not so very distant past, get worse and worse.

Competitive game though this was technically classed, Keegan showed his attitude by taking the opportunity to put his reserves.

No David Seaman, Nicholas Anelka, Robbie Fowler, Paolo Wanchope or Trevor Sinclair. In fact Keegan made no fewer than NINE changes to the side that went top of the Premiership by beating Blackburn on Monday night, retaining just fringe men Eyal Berkovic and Paul Bosvelt.

Quite what City's support made of it I'm not sure, but they still turned up in pretty impressive numbers for a tie that was over for what was their team's first visit to the Millennium Stadium.

Well, no other way Man City are going to get there so they had to make the most of the chance, one cynic quipped beforehand. Ouch!

Still, just as well the 8,000 plus City fans turned up otherwise the stadium would have been totally deserted. As it was, having seen so many full houses for football matches at the ground, it still made for a strange sight to see the floodlights reflecting upon row after row of empty seats, pockets of City supporters dotted here and there with around 1,500 TNS fans who had made the trip.

That just increased the almost eerie atmosphere at the start, the game from the first whistle by and large having the feel of a training match under the closed roof.

TNS boss Ken McKenna had stated beforehand he either had to play for respectability, or totally go for broke and risk an utter hiding.

Wisely, knowing his team were never going to claw back a five-goal deficit, McKenna chose the former approach, packing his defence and midfield and leaving just Jamie Wood up front on his own in a bid to frustrate Keegan's side.

And for the most part of the first half the tactics worked, Man City invariably having almost a total glut of possession but finding their moves broken down by tenacious TNS defending.

TNS even almost had the nerve to take the lead after 37 minutes when Naylor worked a one-two with Ruscoe and saw his shot deflected onto Nicky Weaver's right-hand post.

From the resulting corner Ward had a close range header which went just wide.

TNS defended so stoically that their goalkeeper Dean Williams only had to make one proper stop in the first 40-odd minutes, racing off his line to deny an in the clear Huckerby.

But three minutes before the interval, TNS switched off defensively ... and, Premiership reserves or not, were made to pay at once. Negouai suddenly found himself clear in front of goal and cooly slotted past an exposed Williams.

So, we had a repeat of the first leg 14 days ago - City cracking the TNS resistance just once before half-time and the prospect of more goals as the Welsh Premier players tired on a big pitch as the minutes ticked away.

Not that anyone had told Gray Brabin the script. He almost scored a spectacular equaliser five minutes into the second half, collecting a loose ball in midfield, spotting Weaver off his line and trying to lob him from 45 yards.

Weaver frantically backpedalled to keep out the ball, but it was very nearly the best goal we have seen to date in the Millennium Stadium.

Still, it was soon back to the normal script, Man City stretching TNS at will until they reached the Welsh side's penalty area and saw their moves break down.

Until 10 minutes from time that was, when Flood raced away down the right and set up a tap in for Huckerby.

The TNS dream was over. They did as well as anyone could have expected, let's make that abundantly clear.

But is that the level the FAW want us to remain at - our teams being outclassed and expecting seven-goal thumpings?