A quick preview of the three games from three different competitions over the weekend which include JD Cymru Premier clubs.
JD CYMRU PREMIER
Caernarfon Town (4th) v Cardiff Met (6th) | Saturday – 14:30
In the weekend’s only league game, a confident Caernarfon Town squad will welcome Cardiff Met, who are currently on a bad run.
With only one defeat in their last eight games (vs TNS), Caernarfon Town have risen to 4th place, four points above Newtown and Cardiff Met.
There are eight points separating Caernarfon Town and Bala Town in the race to finish in the top three, but the Canaries will feel positive ahead of the play-offs with the teams around them struggling recently.
Caernarfon Town won the play-offs in 2021/22, which happened to be the only season where the play-off winners did not qualify for Europe, but instead entered the Scottish Challenge Cup, and the Canaries are still desperate for their first taste of European football.
Cardiff Met are eyeing a place in Europe for the first time since 2019, but after going on a run of 10 league games without winning for the first time in three years, the hope is fading in the capital.
Caernarfon Town had won eight successive games against Cardiff Met before the teams had two 2-2 draws in the last two months.
But the Cofis remain on a run of 10 games without defeat against the Archers, and Sion Bradley has scored four goals in three games against Cardiff Met this season, including three free kicks.
League form:
Caernarfon Town: ✅➖✅❌➖
Cardiff Met: ͏❌❌❌❌➖
JD WELSH CUP SEMI FINAL
Connah’s Quay v Bala Town | Saturday – 17:15 (Maesdu Park, Llandudno)
For the second season in a row Connah’s Quay and Bala Town will go head-to-head in the semi-finals of the JD Welsh Cup, and the winners will face either The New Saints or Cardiff Met in the final on Sunday, 28 April at Rodney Parade, Newport.
Bala Town were the winners in the semi-final last season, winning 3-2 at Cae-y-Castell with goals from Nathan Peate, George Newell and Chris Venables sending Colin Caton’s side into the final for the second time in their history.
Bala Town were the winners of the 2017 JD Welsh Cup, beating The New Saints in the final in Nantporth, and they were aiming to repeat history last season, but lost heavily against the Saints (6-0) in what was the biggest defeat in a final since 1931.
Connah’s Quay won the cup in 2018 after beating Aberystwyth 4-1 at Latham Park under the management of Andy Morrison, and Nomads’ current boss Neil Gibson also has fond memories of lifting the cup as player-manager of Prestatyn Town in 2013.
Connah’s Quay are six points above Bala Town in the table, but the Nomads have not been at their best recently, losing three consecutive league games for the first time since October 2015.
It’s a different story at Bala Town as they have only lost once in 10 in all competitions (vs TNS), winning all their last eight away games.
Bala Town has certainly had the best of things in the recent meetings between these clubs, losing only one of the eight previous contests between the two teams (won four, drawn three).
Quarter Final: Buckley Town 1-4 Connah’s Quay, Bala Town 3-0 Flint Mountain
4th Round: Flint Town United 0-3 Connah’s Quay, Caerau Ely 1-4 Bala Town
3rd Round: Connah’s Quay 8-0 Prestatyn Town, Aberystwyth Town 0-1 Bala Town
2nd Round: Connah’s Quay 4-1 Caernarfon Town, Bala Town 3-0 Llandudno Town
