Following six festive Boxing Day battles, the JD Cymru Premier clubs now prepare for the reverse derby fixtures.
The first phase of the season is coming to a close and the table will be split into two after 22 games, where the Top Six teams will secure their place in the top-flight for next year and claim a spot in the European play-offs, while the Bottom Six will all be battling to avoid relegation.
Both The New Saints and Connah’s Quay have already sealed their place in the top half, while Cardiff Met and Bala Town have also got themselves in a great position to make the cut.
On average, 31 points has been the magic number of points needed to secure a Top Six spot, and both Newtown and Pen-y-bont need just one win apiece to reach that all-important mark.
Friday, 30 December
Newtown (5th) v Aberystwyth Town (10th) | Friday – 17:45 (S4C)
In the mid-wales derby, Aberystwyth Town will be hoping for some payback after Newtown’s 2-1 win at Park Avenue on Boxing Day where centre-back Kieran Mills-Evans stole the show with two first half goals for the Robins.
Chris Hughes’ squad will be looking for their fourth consecutive victory over rivals Aberystwyth, as the Robins set their sights on confirming a Top Six spot.
Newtown have won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions, while Aberystwyth Town have lost six in seven.
The Seasiders are still waiting for their first clean sheet in the league this season, and with only two points separating Aberystwyth Town and the relegation zone it looks like the Black & Greens are destined to be in the bottom half for the eighth successive season.
League form:
Newtown: ✅❌✅✅✅
Aberystwyth Town: ❌❌❌❌✅
Cardiff Met (3rd) v Pen-y-bont (6th) | Friday – 19:45
An impressive run of six league matches without a loss (won five, drawn one), including their 3-1 win at Pen-y-bont, has left Cardiff Met in a strong position to claim a Top Six position for the first time since 2017/18.
The Archers have a solid record at home having lost just twice in 20 games at Cyncoed Campus in 2022 (won 13, drawn five).
With five games remaining until the split, Pen-y-bont need three points to reach the 31-point mark, which should be enough to seal a Top Six spot.
Pen-y-bont are aiming for a third consecutive season in the Top Six, and since their next three league games are against bottom-half opposition (Airbus, Caernarfon, Aberystwyth), Rhys Griffiths’ side will be confident of crossing the line.
League form:
Cardiff Met: ✅✅✅➖✅
Pen-y-bont: ❌✅❌➖✅
Bala Town (4th) v Caernarfon Town (8th) v | Friday – 19:45
With 33 points on the board and five games left until the split, it seems that Bala Town have done enough to get into the Top Six for the ninth consecutive year.
An early dismissal for Cofi, Ryan Williams, led to a comfortable afternoon for the Lakesiders at the Oval on Monday (Cfon 1-5 Bala), and after losing only once in their last 10 matches, Bala Town are contenders for European qualification yet again.
A difficult run of games has left Caernarfon Town with no wins in six games in all competitions (lost five, drawn one), and the Cofis have a mountain to climb if they are to reach the Top Six for the fifth successive season.
Bala Town have a remarkable home record with eight wins and seven clean sheets in their last 10 matches at Maes Tegid in all competitions.
This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams in 2022, and the Lakesiders are unbeaten in the previous six games (won five, drawn one).
League form:
Bala Town: ✅✅✅❌✅
Caernarfon Town: ❌❌❌➖❌
Saturday, 31 December
Airbus UK (12th) v The New Saints (1st) | Saturday – 14:30
The only team with no league wins this season would not have looked forward to the prospect of facing the only unbeaten team over the Christmas period, but that was the challenge ahead for Airbus UK, and unfortunately the 7-0 score-line was no real surprise on Boxing Day.
But Airbus UK must lick their wounds instantly as the Saints prepare to land at the Airfield for the first time since November 2019 when the Oswestry outfit broke the record for the biggest away win in JD Cymru Premier history with an astounding 12-0 trouncing.
The New Saints are still unbeaten in the league this season, and the reigning champions have now gone 23 league games without defeat since March (won 19, drawn four).
Airbus UK will be determined not to reach the split 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 16 of their 17 league games since their promotion.
April 2016 was the last time Airbus got the better of TNS, and since then the Saints have won seven on the bounce against the Broughton bunch, scoring an average of 5.7 goals per game.
League form:
Airbus UK:❌❌❌❌❌
The New Saints: ✅➖✅➖✅
Haverfordwest County (7th) v Pontypridd United (11th) | Saturday – 14:30
It was a fantastic festive fixture at the USW Sports Park on Boxing Day as Pontypridd United nicked a last minute winner to claim their first three-points since October (Pont 3-2 Hav).
That result leaves Ponty just two points away from the safety of the 10th position, but has also hammered Haverfordwest County’s hopes of reaching the Top Six.
Tony Pennock’s troop have only three games to go until the split, and with the remaining two matches against the top two (The New Saints and Connah’s Quay), it would take a miracle for the Bluebirds to get into the top half for the first time since the league restructure in 2010.
League form:
Haverfordwest County: ❌ ✅❌❌✅
Pontypridd United: ✅❌❌❌❌
Flint Town United (9th) v Connah’s Quay (2nd) | Saturday – 14:30
The standard of the Flintshire derby was certainly hampered by the heavy pitch at the Deeside Stadium on Monday (CQ 2-0 Flint) and Lee Fowler will be expecting to see more football to be played by his side at home on Saturday.
With just the one win in eight matches, Flint Town United are now only three points above the drop zone, and the Top Six dream has surely vanished for the Silkmen.
Connah’s Quay are enjoying a run of 17 games without defeat in all competitions (won 15, drawn two), which could well be their longest run ever without a loss.
Four points separate the Nomads and the front-runners, The New Saints, and the champions may have a game in hand, but Neil Gibson will be determined to keep the pressure on for as long as possible.
Connah’s Quay have now gone eight games without defeat against Flint Town United (won seven, drawn one) and the Silkmen haven’t beaten the Nomads in the top-flight since 1997.
League form:
Flint Town United: ❌✅➖❌❌
Connah’s Quay: ✅➖✅✅➖
All goals and highlights can be viewed on Sgorio’s online accounts.
