Seven games left in the JD Cymru Premier season and only five points separate the five clubs in the race for the runners-up spot and the second ticket to Europe.
TOP SIX
Bala Town (3rd) v Caernarfon Town (5th) | Friday – 19:45
Bala Town will be looking to bounce back following the disappointment of their JD Welsh Cup semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Pen-y-bont last Friday.
Caernarfon Town have won three of their last four games and another win this weekend would leave the Cofis level on points with Bala Town.
Bala Town won comfortably against the Canaries at Maes Tegid in the first phase of the season (Bala 3-0 Cfon), but the points were shared in the thrilling reverse fixture a week later (Cfon 3-3 Bala).
League form:
Bala Town: ✅➖➖✅❌✅
Caernarfon Town: ❌➖✅✅❌✅
The New Saints (1st) v Newtown (4th) | Friday – 19:45
It’s been a productive couple of weeks for The New Saints who sealed the league title before securing a place in the JD Welsh Cup final with a 1-0 win against Colwyn Bay last Sunday.
With just one win in eight games, Newtown have dropped to 4th place, but are still only two points behind the two clubs above them in the race to finish runners-up.
The New Saints have won 10 of their last 11 meetings with Newtown, and the Robins will hope that the Oswestry outfit will have taken their foot off the gas after being crowned champions.
League form:
The New Saints: ✅✅➖✅✅➖
Newtown: ➖͏͏❌❌✅❌
Flint Town United (6th) v Pen-y-bont (2nd) | Saturday – 14:30
Flint Town United enjoyed a strong start to the season, but Neil Gibson’s gang have withered slightly in recent weeks and have now gone seven games without a win (one win in last 10 games).
But the Pen-y-bont boys will be feeling buyoant after losing just once in their last 10 games with Rhys Griffiths’ side securing a place in the JD Welsh Cup final for the first time in their history.
The Silkmen won 3-1 at home against Pen-y-bont in the first phase, before the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
This could be the turning point of Flint Town United’s season who have the chance to close the gap on the team leading the race for European football, but a defeat would leave Flint Town United eight points adrift with just six games to play.
League form:
Flint Town United: ❌➖❌❌❌
Pen-y-bont: ➖➖❌➖✅
BOTTOM SIX
Aberystwyth Town (9th) v Barry Town United (10th) | Friday – 19:45
Both Aberystwyth Town and Barry Town United have gone six games without a victory and are sinking slowly towards the relegation zone.
Cefn Druids are already relegated, but it’s Connah’s Quay who’s currently occupying the other space in the relegation zone, a team that is tipped to climb the ladder before the end of the season.
Aberystwyth Town are one of only two clubs who have been ever-present since the league’s formation back in 1992 (along with Newtown), and Antonio Corbisiero will be determined not to see the Black & Greens slip into the second tier.
Barry Town United returned to the top-flight in 2017 after a 13-year absence, and Gavin Chesterfield’s squad have twice gone on to represent Wales in Europe since their return.
Aberystwyth Town beat the Dragons 2-1 on the opening weekend of the season, thanks to a last-gasp free kick from Matthew Jones, and the reverse fixture finished 1-1 at Jenner Park in November.
League form:
Aberystwyth Town: ➖➖➖❌❌
Barry Town United: ➖❌❌❌➖
Cefn Druids (12th) v Cardiff Met (7th) | Saturday – 14:30
Following an abysmal run of 34 league games without a win it was no surprise to see that Cefn Druids had been relegated last week.
Cefn Druids were promoted to the top-flight in 2016, and after a six-year stint the Ancients will drop back down to the JD Cymru North next season.
Cardiff Met are unbeaten in their last 11 league games, but remarkably, eight of those games have been drawn.
The Archers won both meetings with the Druids in the first phase, and it’s the students who lead the chase for 7th spot to secure a place in the end of season play-offs, where a ticket to next season’s Scottish Challenge Cup will be up for grabs.
League form:
Cefn Druids: ❌❌➖❌❌
Cardiff Met: ➖➖͏➖͏✅➖
Haverfordwest County (8th) v Connah’s Quay (11th) | Saturday – 15:00
Connah’s Quay travel to Pembrokeshire on Saturday knowing that a win would lift them out of the relegation zone.
Last year’s champions were dealt a hammer blow when they received an 18-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player, which left them six points from safety at the start of the second phase, but after five league games without a defeat, Craig Harrison’s crew are on the right track.
Haverfordwest County haven’t beaten the Nomads since 2010, but the Bluebirds will be full of confidence since they’ve won four consecutive Cymru Premier games for the first time since 2005, scoring 12 goals in their last two matches (Hav 6-1 Cefn, Aber 0-6 Hav).
League form:
Haverfordwest County: ➖✅✅✅✅
Connah’s Quay: ✅✅➖✅✅
Highlights will be available on Sgorio’s online accounts and on S4C at 5:30 on Monday afternoon.
