The league has been split into two and the Top Six sides are competing to secure European qualification while the Bottom Six battle to avoid relegation.
TOP SIX
Pen-y-bont (4th) v Cardiff Met (3rd) | Friday – 19:45
There are four European tickets up for grabs this year, and those will be granted to the top two in the league, the JD Welsh Cup winners, and the play-off winners.
If either one of the league’s top two teams also go on to lift the Welsh Cup, then the 3rd placed team would automatically qualify for Europe, but these two teams will target that 2nd spot to leave nothing up to chance.
There’s only four points separating the four clubs between the 2nd and 5th positions, which means that it’s all to play for in the Top Six this season.
Of all the Top Six sides, Pen-y-bont are the only team who have never qualified for Europe in their past, but Rhys Griffiths’ gang will be full of confidence following a run of eight games without defeat where they’ve only conceded twice.
Pen-y-bont are in fact without a loss since Cardiff Met’s previous visit to the SDM Glass Stadium back on Boxing Day (Pen 1-3 Met).
And Cardiff Met’s unbeaten record stretches all the way to November with the Archers on an impressive run of 10 league matches without defeat (won eight, drawn two), which includes their shock comeback victory against The New Saints last Saturday.
League form:
Pen-y-bont: ➖✅✅✅✅
Cardiff Met: ✅✅✅➖✅
Connah’s Quay (2nd) v Bala Town (5th) | Saturday – 14:30
Connah’s Quay will be keen to get their own back on Bala following the penalty shootout beating in the Nathaniel MG Cup final last month.
That loss brought Connah’s Quay’s remarkable run of 21 games without defeat to an end, and the mood has since dampened at Deeside with the Nomads now on a run of five league matches without a win.
Halfway through the season, after 16 games, Connah’s Quay were seven points clear of 3rd placed Bala Town, but now, after winning just one in seven league matches, there’s only a single point between the Nomads and the chasing pack, and what seemed like a promising season could potentially turn into a disappointment.
Despite the cup success, things haven’t been going smoothly for Bala Town in the league either with Colin Caton’s crew winning only once in five matches and failing to score in their last three league outings.
And although the Lakesiders eventually came out on top in the penalty shootout, they did fail to score against Connah’s Quay in normal time, which means that the Nomads have only conceded one goal in their last five meetings with Bala Town.
League form:
Connah’s Quay: ➖❌➖➖➖
Bala Town: ➖❌➖✅❌
The New Saints (1st) v Newtown (6th) | Saturday – 14:30
The New Saints remain 15 points clear at the summit, despite falling to their first league defeat of the season last Saturday which seemed highly unlikely after going 0-2 up after 12 minutes against Cardiff Met (Met 3-2 TNS).
It was The New Saints’ first league defeat since losing to Newtown in March 2022 (TNS 0-1 New), and the first time the Oswestry outfit threw away a two-goal lead since December 2017, which was also against the Robins (TNS 2-4 New).
And Chris Hughes will hope for a similar result for Newtown, who need to close the 10-point gap between themselves and the 3rd position if they are to compete for an automatic European spot.
But the Robins are without a win in four games, which includes their discouraging 0-7 defeat at Park Hall in the JD Welsh Cup fourth round in January.
League form:
The New Saints: ❌✅✅✅✅
Newtown: ➖❌➖✅✅
BOTTOM SIX
Airbus UK (12th) v Caernarfon Town (7th) | Friday – 19:45
With nine games remaining and 25 points separating Airbus and the safety of the 10th position, anything other than a win against Caernarfon Town on Friday night would cement the Wingmakers’ place in the relegation zone.
Since the current league format was introduced, no club has ever found themselves relegated as early as February, but that looks to be inevitable for Airbus by now.
With just one draw and 22 defeats in 23 games, Airbus find themselves on -2 points following their three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player against Caernarfon Town in September, and the Wingmakers are on course to set the record as the worst ever team in the JD Cymru Premier.
Caernarfon Town have had to settle for a place in the Bottom Six for the first time since their promotion in 2018, but the Cofis will be determined to secure the 7th position which would guarantee their ticket to the end of season play-offs.
The Canaries have won their previous five meetings with Airbus UK, and the Cofis will be confident that they can be the ones to send the Broughton boys back down to the JD Cymru North.
League form:
Airbus UK: ❌❌❌❌❌
Caernarfon Town: ✅❌✅❌❌
Aberystwyth Town (11th) v Pontypridd United (10th) | Saturday – 12:45 (S4C online)
With just one point between these two teams, this will be a massive six-pointer in the fight to avoid relegation.
If Aberystwyth Town were to lose on Saturday the Seasiders could find themselves four points adrift of safety and in real danger of facing relegation from the top-flight for the first time in their history.
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 Anthony Williams will be desperate not to see the Black & Greens slip into the second tier.
The Seasiders have failed to keep a clean sheet in the league this season, and with only one win in nine games, the Ceredigion clan need to turn the corner quickly if they are to climb out of trouble.
Pontypridd United can’t boast a very good away record as they’ve won only once in 11 matches on the road since their promotion, with the only away win coming against Airbus UK.
League form:
Aberystwyth Town: ❌✅❌➖❌
Pontypridd United: ✅❌❌✅➖
Haverfordwest County (9th) v Flint Town United (8th) | Saturday – 14:30
Haverfordwest County and Flint Town United go into the weekend level on points, just one point behind Caernarfon Town in the race for 7th place.
Haverfordwest County have been performing well at home lately, and are unbeaten at Bridge Meadow since October, picking up important wins against Pen-y-bont and Connah’s Quay, amongst others.
This will be Flint Town United’s first away fixture since December, and the Silkmen have been on fire recently, netting nine goals in two games.
But it’s the Bluebirds who came out on top in the double-header during the first phase, winning 0-1 at Cae-y-Castell following the 1-1 draw at home in September.
League form:
Haverfordwest County: ❌✅❌➖❌
Flint Town United: ✅✅❌➖➖
All goals can be viewed on Sgorio’s online accounts, and the weekend’s highlights will be on Sgorio on Monday night at 9:35 on S4C.
