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There are four rounds of games to go until the split in the league and the race to reach the Top Six is drawing to a close. 

The New Saints and Connah’s Quay have already secured their place in the top half, while Newtown look comfortable too. 

Normally, 31 points is the amount needed to claim a place in the Top Six, and one more win would be enough for Cardiff Met and Bala to reach that goal. 

Caernarfon Town are 6th at the start of the weekend, and the Cofis are five points above Pen-y-bont who are in danger of failing to reach the top half for the first time in four years. 

 

 

Saturday, 16 December 

Caernarfon Town (6th) v Haverfordwest County (8th) | Saturday – 14:30 

After finishing 9th last season, Caernarfon Town are in a strong position to regain their place in the Top Six this year, but Haverfordwest County are the club most likely to catch them. 

After this fixture the Cofis need to travel to face the New Saints and Cardiff Met before the split, while Haverfordwest County have a game in hand, and two of their next four games are against clubs from the bottom four. 

Haverfordwest County have only lost one of their last six league games (vs Bala), and the Bluebirds won away from home at Connah’s Quay recently therefore confidence is high at Bridge Meadow. 

The last two games between the teams have ended in a tie, and the Cofis have only lost one in seven against the Bluebirds (won four, drawn two). 

 

Fixtures before the split: 

Caernarfon Town: TNS (a), CBay (h), Met (a) 

Haverfordwest County: Barr (h), Aber (a), TNS (h), Bala (a) 

 

League form:  

Caernarfon Town: ✅➖❌❌❌ 

Haverfordwest County: ➖✅✅➖❌ 

 

Connah’s Quay (2nd) v Pontypridd United (12th) | Saturday – 14:30 

Although the Independent Arbitration Panel found that Pontypridd were guilty of breaching the league’s rules regarding contracts, payments and playing ineligible players the punishment was nowhere near as severe as what the FAW had recommended. The club has received a 6 point fine as punishment with an additional 135 points suspended until the end of 2024-25. 

Pontypridd can now concentrate their attention on their performances on the pitch, where things aren’t going well to say the least, with the team securing just one point from their last seven games. 

Over halfway through the season and Pontypridd United have only scored seven goals in 18 league games (0.4 goals per game), which leaves a big challenge ahead of manager Andrew Stokes if he wants to try to steer the club from relegation. 

Connah’s Quay are safe of their place in the Top Six, but second place is the realistic target for Neil Gibson’s team again this year, in order to secure an automatic ticket to Europe. 

Connah’s Quay have won all three of their previous games against Pontypridd United, and the Nomads have never conceded a goal against Andrew Stokes’ side. 

 

Fixtures before the split: 

Connah’s Quay: New (a), TNS (h), Pen (a) 

Pontypridd: Aber (h), Pen (a), CBay (a) 

 

League form:  

Connah’s Quay: ✅✅❌❌✅ 

Pontypridd United: ❌❌❌➖❌ 

  

Bala Town (5th) v Cardiff Met (4th) | Saturday – 17:15 

A win for either team would get them to the elusive 31-point mark, which has usually been the amount needed to secure a place in the Top Six. 

Cardiff Met have a significant advantage in the race as they are a point above Bala Town with a game in hand, and having won seven of their last nine league games, the Archers will be confident of claiming their place in the top half for the second season in a row. 

After losing several influential players over the summer Colin Caton will be more than satisfied with the Lakesiders’ current position, who have only conceded 14 goals in 18 league games so far and kept more clean sheets than any other team (8). 

Four of the eight previous games between the teams have ended goalless, including the reverse fixtures at Cyncoed Campus back in August. 

 

Fixtures before the split: 

Bala Town: CBay (a), New (h), Hav (a) 

Cardiff Met: Pen (h), Barr (a), TNS (a), Cfon (a) 

 

League form:  

Bala Town: ✅➖✅➖❌ 

Cardiff Met: ✅➖✅✅❌ 

 

The New Saints (1st) v Pen-y-bont (7th) | Saturday – 14:30 

The New Saints are enjoying a run of 25 games without a loss in all competitions, have won 17 in a row and are six points clear at the top of the league with two games in hand. 

The Saints will aim to make it 26 games unbeaten for the first time since August 2016 to February 2017, during which time they broke the world record with 27 consecutive victories. 

Four games to go until the split and possibly the biggest shock this year is that Pen-y-bont are sitting in the bottom half, and that after reaching Europe for the first time ever last season. 

Pen-y-bont have only won one of their last nine league games, losing six of those, and Rhys Griffiths’ team are five points behind Caernarfon who start the weekend in the all-important 6th position. 

The bad news for Pen-y-bont is that they face a difficult run of games before the split as they need to play Connah’s Quay, Cardiff Met, Pontypridd, and of course The New Saints. 

The clubs have met on 18 occasions, and the Saints have never lost against Rhys Griffiths’ side (14 wins, four draws), beating them 4-1 earlier this season with Brad Young and Ryan Brobbel netting two brilliant goals apiece at the SDM Glass Stadium. 

 

Fixtures before the split: 

The New Saints: Cfon (h), CQ (a), Met (h), Hav (a), New (h) 

Pen-y-bont: Met (a), Pont (h), CQ (h) 

 

League form:  

The New Saints: ✅✅✅✅✅ 

Pen-y-bont: ❌➖❌➖✅ 

 

JD WELSH CUP – ROUND 4 

Colwyn Bay (10th) v Barry Town United (9th) | Saturday – 14:00 

Round 3: Newtown 1-1(p) Colwyn Bay, Barry Town United 1-0 Guilsfield 

Round 2: Colwyn Bay 6-2 Llanrwst, Barry Town United 6-0 Porthcawl 

 

This cup fixture has had to be rescheduled following last week’s heavy rain which meant that the match was postponed last Saturday. 

Only two points separate Colwyn Bay and Barry Town United in the bottom half of the JD Cymru Premier table, therefore it promises to be a tight affair on Saturday afternoon. 

The teams have already met twice in the league this year, with Barry having had the better of things so far, winning 1-0 at Llanelian Road in October thanks to Kayne McLaggon’s goal, following a 1-1 draw at Jenner Park in August. 

Colwyn Bay reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup in 2021/22 before losing 1-0 against The New Saints, but the Seagulls have never reached the final. 

Barry Town United have enjoyed plenty of success in the Welsh Cup over the years and have won the competition on six occasions – the first time in 1955 against Chester then lifting the cup in 1994, 1997 and three times in a row between 2001 and 2003. 

But, unfortunately for the Dragons and their supporters, Barry have not reached a final since they last won the competition over 20 years ago, although they did come close in 2018/19 when they lost 2-0 against The New Saints in the semi-final. 

 

 

Highlights of all matches will be available on Sgorio’s social websites with the best of the weekend’s action on S4C on Monday night at 9:30. 

Rhys Llwyd

Author Rhys Llwyd

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