As we reach the halfway point of the JD Cymru Premier season, the pressure to reach the Top Six is mounting.
The league will be split into two after 22 games, where the Top Six teams will secure their place in the league for next season and claim a spot in the European play-offs, while the Bottom Six will all be battling to avoid relegation.
On average, 31 points has been the magic number of points needed to secure a Top Six spot, and both The New Saints and Connah’s Quay have already surpassed that all-important mark.
Chasing the top two are six clubs who have a genuine realistic chance of making the cut, with just seven points separating the teams in the 3rd and 8th positions.
Friday, 16 December
Airbus UK (12th) v Caernarfon Town (7th) | Friday – 19:45
Airbus UK will be determined not to reach the halfway point of the season on negative points with the Wingmakers in real danger of breaking the record as the worst team to ever play in the league.
A three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player in the reverse fixture against Caernarfon Town has left Airbus on -2 points, after losing 14 of their 15 league games since their promotion.
Airbus UK are mathematically out of the race for the Top Six, but Caernarfon Town will be keen to climb straight back up after dropping out of the top half on Sunday for the first time since August.
Caernarfon Town have won their previous four meetings with Airbus UK, and Huw Griffiths will be eager to get the Canaries into the Top Six for a fifth consecutive year.
League form:
Airbus UK: ❌❌❌❌❌
Caernarfon Town: ❌➖❌✅❌
Cardiff Met (5th) v Haverfordwest County (8th) | Friday – 19:45
Cardiff Met’s target will be to seal a Top Six spot for the first time since the 2017/18 season, and the Archers are in a strong position to do so with six games left until the split, two of those against bottom side, Airbus UK.
Since the league restructure in 2010, Haverfordwest County have failed to reach the Top Six, and Tony Pennock’s team suffered a setback last Sunday as they lost 2-0 to Newtown.
The Bluebirds came out on top in the reverse fixture (Hav 1-0 Met), but Cardiff Met have lost just twice in their last 19 home games (vs TNS and Caernarfon) whilst Haverfordwest County have won only twice in 11 away games (vs Airbus and Flint).
League form:
Cardiff Met: ➖✅✅❌❌
Haverfordwest County: ❌✅✅✅❌
Bala Town (3rd) v Connah’s Quay (2nd) | Friday – 19:45 (S4C online)
Following a fantastic run of 14 games without defeat in all competitions (won 13, drawn one) Connah’s Quay have in all likelihood, done enough to secure a place in the Top Six, and now Neil Gibson’s men will be looking to reduce the seven-point gap between themselves and the league leaders, The New Saints.
There’s also a seven-point divide separating Connah’s Quay and Bala Town, but since finishing in 3rd place has been enough to seal a European spot in each of the last eight seasons, Bala Town will be hoping to increase the two-point gap between themselves and both Pen-y-bont (4th) and Cardiff Met (5th).
The Lakesiders have a remarkable home record with seven wins and seven clean sheets in their last nine matches at Maes Tegid in all competitions.
But it will be a tough test on Friday against a Connah’s Quay side that have won their last three games against Bala Town, including the 1-0 win in August thanks to a long-range lob from Ryan Stratulis.
League form:
Bala Town: ✅❌✅➖✅
Connah’s Quay: ✅➖✅✅✅
Newtown (6th) v Pontypridd United (11th) | Friday – 19:45
At the start of November, Newtown were in the relegation zone with just 11 points from 12 games, but five consecutive wins in all competitions has seen the Robins fly up to the Top Six.
Pontypridd United are the ones who are now keeping company to Airbus UK in the drop zone after losing five of their last six league games with the only success coming against bottom of the league side, Airbus.
Chris Hughes’ squad will now be eyeing a third consecutive European tour, and after comfortably winning 4-1 away at Pontypridd in October, Newtown will be favourites to make it six wins on the bounce for the first time in 18 years (Sep-Nov 2004).
League form:
Newtown: ✅✅✅✅❌
Pontypridd United: ❌❌❌✅❌
Flint Town United (10th) v The New Saints (1st) | Friday – 19:45
After securing the maximum six points from their opening two games of the season, Flint Town United have crumbled, winning just two of their last 14 league matches, with both victories coming against Airbus UK.
And things aren’t getting any easier for the Silkmen over the Christmas period as three of their next four games are against the top two sides in the table, starting with The New Saints who remain unbeaten in the league this season.
Craig Harrison’s heavyweights are seven points clear at the top of the table, and the champions have gone 21 league games without defeat (won 18, drawn three), scoring twice as many goals as 2nd placed Connah’s Quay.
Flint Town United have a horrendous record against The New Saints since their promotion (drawn one, lost six), which includes their most recent hammerings of 6-2 and 7-0 in their last two meetings.
League form:
Flint Town United: ➖❌❌❌❌
The New Saints: ✅➖✅✅✅
Aberystwyth Town (9th) v Pen-y-bont (4th) | Friday – 20:00
Aberystwyth Town will need to recuperate rapidly after they suffered their heaviest defeat in their 1,000+ appearances in the JD Cymru Premier with an embarrassing 11-0 annihilation at the hands of The New Saints in their last outing.
The Black & Greens are in a familiar position at this stage of the season – five points below the Top Six, and five points above the relegation zone with one eye looking up and the other looking over their shoulders.
Pen-y-bont have won just one of their last five league matches, but Rhys Griffiths will be optimistic ahead of Friday’s clash as his side have won their previous three meetings with Aberystwyth Town.
League form:
Aberystwyth Town: ❌✅❌✅ ❌
Pen-y-bont: ❌➖✅➖❌
All goals can be viewed on Sgorio’s online accounts, and the weekend’s highlights will be on Sgorio on Monday night at 10:00 on S4C.