It was a frustrating Saturday afternoon for the top half clubs last weekend as all the teams that started the afternoon in the top six positions failed to win their games.
Caernarfon Town, Briton Ferry Llansawel, The New Saints and Barry Town United all had to settle for just a point, while Pen-y-bont and Cardiff Met both suffered defeats.
Since then, Bala Town have climbed to second place after beating Connah’s Quay in a rearranged fixture on Tuesday night.
And the match between Connah’s Quay and Briton Ferry Llansawel has been postponed this weekend as two of the Nomads’ players have been called up to represent their countries – Abdi Sharif (Somalia) and Kit Margetson (Wales under 21).
Saturday, 6 September
Llanelli Town (12th) v Flint Town United (10th) | Saturday – 12:30
After securing promotion over the summer, Llanelli Town have not had the ideal return to the JD Cymru Premier, losing all five games so far.
No team have scored less than Llanelli Town to date (3 goals in 5 games), and to add salt to the wound, their top scorer last season, Liam Eason is once again running riot in the JD Cymru South with six league goals since joining Cambrian United over the summer, favouring to stay in the second tier rather than having a go at the top-flight.
Flint Town United have climbed out of the relegation zone after securing their first victory of the season last Saturday, winning 4-2 at home against Cardiff Met.
There have been 18 goals scored in the Silkmen’s last three games (FTU 2-5 Cfon, CQ 3-2 FTU, FTU 4-2 Met), while Llanelli Town have not scored in their last two outings.
This will be the first match between the two clubs in 30 seasons, with Flint Town United winning 2-1 in the most recent previous battle back in January 1996.
League form:
Llanelli Town: ❌❌❌❌❌
Flint Town United: ➖❌❌✅
Cardiff Met (11th) v Colwyn Bay (9th) | Saturday – 12:30 (Live online)
It promises to be a competitive encounter at Cyncoed Campus between two teams who are level on points and still waiting for their first wins in the league this season.
Cardiff Met and Colwyn Bay have had four draws and one loss apiece, and therefore both managers will be desperate to secure the first three points of the campaign.
Colwyn Bay have defended well but have only scored five goals in their opening five games, and centre-back Nathan Peate is currently the Seagulls’ top scorer with two league goals.
Cardiff Met manager, Ryan Jenkins was extremely disappointed with his team’s performance in the defeat against Flint Town United last Saturday, stating that his players were too soft.
These clubs met three times in the 2023/24 season with Cardiff Met getting the best of things, winning twice and drawing the other.
League form:
Cardiff Met: ͏➖➖➖➖❌
Colwyn Bay: ͏➖➖❌➖➖
Bala Town (2nd) v Pen-y-bont (3rd) | Saturday – 12:30
Although some suggested that Bala Town might struggle this year following the departure of Colin Caton, the Lakesiders are in fact sitting in a very respectable 2nd place after a brilliant away win at Connah’s Quay on Tuesday night.
Nobody has conceded fewer goals than Steve Fisher’s team this season (4 in 5 games), and the newly formed squad seems to have gelled rapidly at Maes Tegid under the guidance of the new manager.
After a solid start to the season, Pen-y-bont will be frustrated with the 1-0 loss at home against Connah’s Quay last Saturday, which means they are now two points behind the league leaders, Caernarfon Town.
Bala Town were victorious in the last meeting between the teams in April on the last weekend of the regular season, where James Crole scored a penalty for Pen-y-bont in the dying seconds to finish as the league’s joint top-scorer with 16 goals (Bala 3-2 Pen).
League form:
Bala Town: ➖✅❌✅✅
Pen-y-bont: ͏✅❌✅✅❌
The New Saints (5th) v Haverfordwest County (8th) | Saturday – 12:30
With just two wins from their opening five league matches, it certainly hasn’t been the expected start to the season for the champions, The New Saints.
Despite the shaky start, the Saints are the only team to keep three clean sheets so far, but the attackers have not been firing, scoring only six goals in five games.
Haverfordwest County haven’t had the best start either, with just one win in four for the team that finished 3rd last season.
The Saints have won their last 10 contests against Haverfordwest County, and the Bluebirds have not won away from home against The New Saints for 22 years.
League form:
The New Saints: ❌✅✅➖➖
Haverfordwest County: ❌➖✅➖
Sunday, 7 September
Caernarfon Town (1st) v Barry Town United (7th) | Sunday – 12:30
Caernarfon Town continue to set the standard in the JD Cymru Premier this season, and the Cofis are the only team that are yet to taste defeat.
The Canaries have only dropped points in two games after conceding controversial penalties away from home against Cardiff Met and Haverfordwest County (Met 2-2 Cfon, Hav 1-1 Cfon).
Barry Town United secured a valuable point at home against The New Saints last Saturday, but the Dragons have slipped into the bottom half after winning just one of their opening five fixtures.
And Barry Town’s recent record against Caernarfon Town isn’t great as the Dragons have lost four of their last six meetings with the Cofis (W1, D1, L4).
League form:
Caernarfon Town: ͏➖✅✅✅➖
Barry Town United: ✅➖❌➖➖
The highlights of the games will be available on Sgorio’s social websites and the best of the weekend’s action on S4C on Monday night.
