McKenna felt the Saints should have won by a larger margin

"It was a very frustrating evening in many respects," said McKenna after the 3-2 win in the first qualifying round.

"We've managed to break our duck and get a win in Europe, but we've conceded two terrible goals and really it was a tie we should have won comfortably.

"It's little mistakes that have cost us and that's what disappointed me."

Interview: Ken McKenna

The Saints dominated for long periods at Newtown's Latham Park - their home ground at Llansantffraid not up to Uefa standard - and looked to have settled for a 2-1 win to take to next Wednesday's second leg in Latvia.

I'm pleased for the players they got the win, but I'm disappointed that they're not going away with the security of a bigger win The New Saints manager Ken McKenna

But Ventspils stunned the Welsh champions with a goal against the run of play in the 88th minute from Vits Rimkus, who had earlier equalised Michael Wilde's 14th-minute opener.

Back came the Saints, though, and Barry Hogan fired home from 12 yards four minutes into injury time to give the Saints an historic win.

Not only was it their first victory in a European competition, but it also meant the Saints became only the third Welsh club to win a match in the Champions League.

McKenna has long argued the Welsh Premier season should start in March to give sides in Europe more hope of progressing and he said the outcome would have been entirely different had his players been match fit.

"Their second goal was a bitter blow," McKenna told BBC Wales Sport. "At that time in the game we were getting tired. We've crammed a whole pre-season into 40 days.

"We've done as much homework on them as we can. I've been out to watch them. We've worked hard physically and tactically. We prepared the best we could for the game - we couldn't have done any more.

"But we're not match sharp - they are. They've played 17 games already. Had it been the other way around, the tie would have been put to bed in the first leg.