Thanks, that is what I needed. My updated version resembles:

if ($@) {
        if ($@ =~ /Connection refused/) {
            print "<TD align=center bgcolor=#FF0000>Denied199</TD>";
            $tssshtest = 2;
        }
    }
    else {
        if ($ssh = Net::SSH::Perl->new($tsip, protocol=>1)) {
            $ssh -> login ($username, $password);
            print "<TD align=center bgcolor=#00FF00>Granted</TD>";
            $tssshtest = 1;
        }
        else {
            print "<TD align=center bgcolor=#FF0000>Denied</TD>";
            $tssshtest = 0;
        }
    }
[download]

All is better now. Many praises.