There are only five rounds of matches left to play in the JD Cymru Premier season, and since The New Saints have already secured the championship, the attention now turns to the race for 2nd place and the battle to avoid relegation.
The New Saints have sealed their place in Europe, but there are three more tickets up for grabs which will be given to the league runners-up, the play-off winners, and the JD Welsh Cup winners.
If The New Saints were to do the double and beat Bala Town in the JD Welsh Cup final, then the 3rd placed team in the league would be granted the final European spot.
TOP SIX
Connah’s Quay v Newtown | Friday – 19:45 (S4C online)
Connah’s Quay lead the race for the second ticket to Europe, and the Nomads are clear of the chasing pack with five games left to play.
The sturdy defence deserve all the plaudits for their league position as Connah’s Quay have only conceded six goals in their last nine league matches.
But despite being stubborn at the back, the Nomads have won just once in nine league games as they’ve also only managed to score six goals during their recent spell (Played nine – won one, drawn seven, lost one).
Connah’s Quay have had more draws than anyone else in the league this season (9) with 15% of their matches ending goalless, including last Friday’s stalemate with The New Saints.
Nevertheless, Neil Gibson will be satisfied with the Nomads’ home form as they haven’t lost any of their last 20 league games at the Deeside Stadium since January 2022 (CQ 2-3 Barry).
After losing 0-1 at home to Pen-y-bont last Saturday, Newtown will have to rely on the play-offs for a realistic route to Europe this year.
The Robins have represented Wales in Europe for the last two seasons, but after winning just one of their last seven league games (drawn three, lost three), the automatic spots have slipped out of reach.
This will be the fourth encounter between these sides this season, and although the last two matches have ended in draws, Connah’s Quay will be slight favourites as they have only lost once in their previous 15 meetings with Newtown (won 10, drawn four).
League form:
Connah’s Quay: ➖➖✅➖➖
Newtown: ❌➖✅❌➖
Pen-y-bont v Bala Town | Saturday – 14:30
After fielding ineligible substitutes in two league games, Pen-y-bont are to be deducted six points which would see the club drop from 3rd to 4th position.
Despite the disappointment, Rhys Griffiths’ side would remain only two points behind the 3rd spot, which could be enough to claim an European ticket, as it has done for the past eight years.
Pen-y-bont are currently on a run of 10 league games without defeat (won six, drawn four), and are determined to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
Apart from Airbus UK, no team has picked up less points than Bala Town since the league split (3pts from a possible 15), and after failing to win in seven league outings, Colin Caton’s side are on their longest streak without a victory since September 2012.
The last two meetings between these sides have ended in draws, but it was Pen-y-bont who came out on top at the SDM Glass Stadium on the opening weekend of the season thanks to a Rhys Kavanagh brace (Pen 2-0 Bala).
League form:
Pen-y-bont: ✅➖➖✅➖
Bala Town: ➖❌❌➖➖
The New Saints v Cardiff Met | Saturday – 14:30
The New Saints have secured their 15th championship following a goalless draw at Connah’s Quay last Friday.
This is TNS’ 10th title in 12 seasons, and after conceding the league to the Nomads in 2020 and 2021, the Oswestry outfit have regained their status as the dominant force in the Welsh pyramid.
The New Saints finished last season 21 points clear of 2nd placed Bala Town, and with 17 points currently separating the champions and the Nomads (2nd), it is evident that Craig Harrison’s men have been a cut above the rest once again this campaign.
The target for the Saints for the remaining matches will be to net 11 more goals to hit the 100 mark for the first time since 2016/17.
Cardiff Met are on a run of four games without a win, but they are the only team to beat The New Saints in the league this season following their 3-2 comeback triumph at Cyncoed Campus in February.
But the Saints have scored 19 goals in five games against the Archers (3.8 goals per game), which includes two thumpings during the first phase of this season (Met 0-7 TNS, TNS 4-0 Met).
League form:
The New Saints: ͏➖✅➖✅❌
Cardiff Met: ➖➖❌❌✅
BOTTOM SIX
Aberystwyth Town (11th) v Flint Town United (9th) | Saturday – 14:30
Aberystwyth Town secured a vital 1-0 victory away at Caernarfon Town last Friday, keeping their first clean sheet of the season and keeping their survival hopes alive.
The three points for the Seasiders mean that there’s now only three points between Aberystwyth Town (11th) and Caernarfon Town (8th), which makes it a four-way scrap for that second relegation spot.
Flint Town United are one of those four clubs in danger with the Silkmen also just three points above the relegation zone with five games left to play.
Flint Town United have a terrible away record this season as Lee Fowler’s lineup are without a league win on the road since August and have picked up just two points from their last nine away trips.
But it was the Flintshire faction that won the latest battle between these sides with an impressive 5-0 victory at the Essity Stadium, and the Silkmen have only lost once in their last eight meetings with Aberystwyth Town (won five, drawn two).
League form:
Aberystwyth Town: ✅❌✅➖❌
Flint Town United: ➖✅➖❌✅
Airbus UK (12th) v Pontypridd United (10th) | Saturday – 14:30
No team has amassed more points than Pontypridd United since the split (11pts), but the league newcomers remain only two points above the relegation zone.
And although it continues to be a nervy period for Pontypridd, they have certainly made more of an impact than the other team that were promoted last summer, Airbus UK.
After losing 26 of their 27 league games this season, along with point deductions for breaking league rules, Airbus UK have already been relegated and will drop back down to the JD Cymru North.
Pontypridd United are the only Bottom Six side not to concede against Airbus this season (Pont 1-0 Air, Air 0-4 Pont, Pont 4-0 Air).
Ben Ahmun has scored six of Ponty’s nine goals against Airbus, scoring a hat-trick for Andrew Stokes’ side in their last two matches against the Wingmakers.
League form:
Airbus UK: ❌❌❌❌❌
Pontypridd United: ➖✅✅➖✅
Haverfordwest County (7th) v Caernarfon Town (8th) | Saturday – 14:30
Huw Griffiths has been sacked as Caernarfon Town manager following their defeat to Aberystwyth Town last Friday.
Griffiths was appointed manager of the Cofis in January 2020, leading the club to play-off victory in 2022.
But for the first time since 1995 there was no route to Europe via the play-offs due to Wales’ rank in the coeffeciency, and therefore Caernarfon Town were unlucky not to experience European football and did not receive the financial benefit that they would have done if they were to have won the play-offs in any other season.
This year, Caernarfon Town have had to settle for a place in the Bottom Six for the first time since their promotion in 2018, and after losing their last two matches the Cofis have lost their grip on the all-important 7th position which has led to Griffiths’ departure.
Assistant-manager Richard Davies will be in charge until the end of the season, and his first task will be to try and inspire his side to close the four-point gap between themselves and Haverfordwest County in the hunt for a play-off place.
Haverfordwest County have been effective at home and haven’t lost at Bridge Meadow since October, winning matches against Pen-y-bont and Connah’s Quay amongst others (won five, drawn one).
Caernarfon Town have lost five of their last seven away matches, winning the other two games against bottom side Airbus UK.
But the Canaries have a good record against the Bluebirds having won four of the previous five meetings with the only defeat coming at the Bridge Meadow on the opening weekend of the season (Hav 1-0 Cfon).
League form:
Haverfordwest County: ✅✅❌✅❌
Caernarfon Town: ❌❌➖✅✅
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.
