As we cross 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 eight points separating the teams in the 3rd and 8th positions.
Thursday, 22 December
Cardiff Met (3rd) v Newtown (5th) | Thursday – 19:45
31 points has historically been the amount needed to get into the Top Six, and Cardiff Met could cross the line on Thursday with a win against Newtown.
Cardiff Met’s target will be to seal a Top Six spot for the first time since the 2017/18 season and following four league games without defeat (won three, drawn one), the Archers are in a strong position to do just that.
At the start of November, Newtown were in the relegation zone with just 11 points from 12 games, but after securing six successive wins in all competitions for the first time in 18 years the Robins have soared up to the Top Six.
Chris Hughes’ squad will now be eyeing a third consecutive European tour, but Cardiff Met are on a run of six games without a loss against Newtown (won three, drawn three), which includes victories earlier this season in both the Nathaniel MG Cup and the league.
League form:
Cardiff Met: ✅➖✅✅❌
Newtown: ✅✅✅✅✅
Friday, 23 December
Connah’s Quay (2nd) v The New Saints (1st) | Friday – 19:45
A 3-0 win against Aberystwyth Town on Tuesday night has extended Connah’s Quay’s fantastic run to 15 games without defeat in all competitions (won 14, drawn one), closing the gap between themselves and The New Saints to four points.
The situation is quite simple for Connah’s Quay – win all of their remaining 16 league games and they will be crowned champions.
But if the Nomads drop points against The New Saints on Friday, then it will be out of Connah’s Quay’s hands and the title will be the Saints’ to lose.
The New Saints are still unbeaten in the league this season, and the reigning champions have gone 21 league games without defeat since March (won 18, drawn three).
Connah’s Quay have already beaten TNS this season in a second round Nathaniel MG Cup penalty shoot-out triumph, but the Oswestry outfit got their payback in a 2-1 league victory at the end of August.
It will be a difficult one to call as both teams are in incredible form and have four wins each in their last nine meetings.
League form:
Connah’s Quay: ✅ ✅➖✅✅
The New Saints: ✅➖✅✅✅
Haverfordwest County (8th) v Aberystwyth Town (9th) | Friday – 19:45
Since the league restructure in 2010, Haverfordwest County have failed to reach the Top Six, and after back-to-back league defeats it will be a tough ask for the Bluebirds to close the five-point gap between themselves and the Top Six before the split.
Aberystwyth Town haven’t won away from home in the league since beating Airbus on the opening weekend (Air 1-2 Aber), losing all seven league games on the road since then.
The Seasiders are still waiting for their first clean sheet in the league this season, therefore it’s no surprise that Aberystwyth Town have the worst defensive record in the JD Cymru Premier.
But the Black & Greens have won their last two meetings with Haverfordwest County, and have only lost once in six matches against the Bluebirds.
League form:
Haverfordwest County: ❌❌✅✅✅
Aberystwyth Town: ❌❌✅❌✅
Pontypridd United (11th) v Pen-y-bont (6th) | Friday – 19:45
Pontypridd United remain in the relegation zone after losing six of their last seven league games with the only success coming against bottom of the league side, Airbus.
Pen-y-bont have won just one of their last five league matches, and after sliding down to 6th place, Rhys Griffiths will be eager to see his side’s performances improve to claim a Top Six finish for the third year on the bounce.
Avoiding the drop will be the aim for Pontypridd in their first season in the top flight, and after claiming a 1-1 draw with Pen-y-bont earlier this season, Andrew Stokes’ squad will have nothing to fear this Friday.
League form:
Pontypridd United: ❌❌❌❌✅
Pen-y-bont: ❌➖✅➖❌
Bala Town (4th) v Airbus UK (12th) | Friday – 19:45
Bala Town need four points from their next seven league games to get to the elusive 31-point mark, which should be enough to achieve a Top Six spot.
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.
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 against Caernarfon Town has left Airbus on -2 points, after losing 14 of their 15 league games since their promotion.
March 2016 was the last time Airbus UK beat Bala Town in a 3-0 JD Welsh Cup quarter final win as the Wingmakers reached the final for the only time in their history.
Since then, Bala Town are unbeaten in six meetings with the Broughton bunch (won five, drawn one), including the 0-6 smashing at the Airfield in September where George Newell scored his first Bala hat-trick.
League form:
Bala Town: ✅❌✅➖✅
Airbus UK: ❌❌❌❌❌
Flint Town United (10th) v Caernarfon Town (7th) | Friday – 19:45
After securing the maximum six points from their opening two games of the season, Flint Town United have struggled, 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 remaining six games of the first phase are against the top two.
A difficult run of games has left Caernarfon Town with one win in six matches, but the Cofis are one of the five teams who haven’t played for three weeks, and the rest may have benefitted Huw Griffiths’ gang.
Caernarfon Town have an impressive record against Flint Town United as the Canaries have won seven of their eight meetings since the Silkmen were promoted, including Caernarfon’s 2-0 win at the Oval earlier this season.
League form:
Flint Town United: ➖❌❌❌❌
Caernarfon Town: ❌➖❌✅❌
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