The 12 JD Cymru Premier clubs have played against each other twice which means that the first phase of the season has come to an end and the league has been split in two.
For the rest of the season the Top Six clubs will compete for the championship and prepare for the European play-offs.
The Bottom Six clubs will fight to stay in the league and aim for 7th place in order to grab the last ticket into the end of season play-off games.
It’s looking exciting towards the summit with only one point separating the current champions, The New Saints and Pen-y-bont, a club that has never finished higher than 3rd place.
It will be more of a challenge than usual to get to Europe this year as there are only three places available instead of the usual four, and therefore the club that finishes 2nd in the table will be competing in the play-offs rather than going straight to Europe.
And at the bottom of the table lies the only two clubs that have been ever-present since the formation of the league, with Aberystwyth Town and Newtown in danger of falling from the top tier for the first time ever.
TOP SIX
Caernarfon Town (4th) v The New Saints (1st) | Friday – 19:45 (POSTPONED)
Caernarfon Town have reached the Top Six for the sixth time in their seven seasons since ascending to the premier league, and the Canaries will be hoping to build momentum ahead of the play-offs.
Caernarfon Town managed to win the play-offs last year and reach Europe for the first time in their history, and the Cofis will be desperate to repeat the feat again this year.
But it will be a challenge for Caernarfon who have lost their striker, Zack Clarke who has signed for The New Saints after scoring eight and creating three goals for the Canaries during the first phase of the season.
The Cofis will not hold a grudge against the Oswestry giants as they have had three of their players on loan for the rest of the season: Blaine Hudson, Josh Lock and Jake Canavan, but all three will not be available to play against their parent-club on Friday.
The New Saints are top of the table with 10 games left to play but Craig Harrison’s side have already lost five league games this season, which is the most they have lost since the 2019/20 season when they finished as runners-up behind Connah’s Quay.
Caernarfon Town were one of the clubs to beat TNS in the first phase, winning 2-1 at Park Hall in October, but the champions hit back on Boxing Day winning 5-2 at the Oval with Jack Bodenham and Ben Clark both grabbing a brace apiece for the Saints.
League form:
Caernarfon Town: ✅❌❌✅✅
The New Saints: ✅✅✅✅✅
Cardiff Met (6th) v Pen-y-bont (2nd) | Friday – 19:45
It seems to be a two-horse race for the championship this year as there are 10 points separating Pen-y-bont (2nd) and Haverfordwest County (3rd) at the start of the second phase of the season.
But Pen-y-bont cannot be satisfied with finishing 2nd as that will not guarantee a place in Europe, so Rhys Griffiths’ team will have to go for it and try to take the title away from The New Saints.
Cardiff Met have secured a place in the top half for the third successive season, but the Archers are 19 points below the front runners, and therefore preparing for the play-offs will be the goal for them.
Pen-y-bont have won four of their last five fixtures with the other game ending in a 2-2 draw against Cardiff Met.
These clubs have already met three times this season and Cardiff Met have had the better of things, winning 1-0 in the Welsh Cup and having two draws in the league.
League form:
Cardiff Met: ͏ ❌✅❌➖❌
Pen-y-bont: ͏✅✅➖✅✅
Haverfordwest County (3rd) v Bala Town (5th) | Saturday – 14:30
After a fantastic start to the season, Haverfordwest County have claimed their place in the Top Six for the first time in the 12-team era, guaranteeing that they will finish in their highest position for 20 years.
Haverfordwest County have the best defensive record in the league (conceding 11 goals in 22 games), and goalkeeper Zac Jones has already managed to keep 12 clean sheets this season.
The Bluebirds start the second phase of the season six points above Caernarfon Town (4th) and Tony Pennock will be keen to stay in the top three as that would mean they go straight into the play-off semi-finals, while the teams from 4th to 7th place will compete in an additional round.
Bala Town have secured a place in the Top Six for 11 seasons in a row, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable for the Gwynedd squad this year after several postponements disrupted their final games before the split.
Colin Caton and the crew will need to move on now and focus on the rest of the season and try to turn draws into wins as half of Bala’s games ended in draws during the first part of the season.
One of those draws came in a goalless away game against Haverfordwest County in November, and it was the Bluebirds who were celebrating in the previous meeting at Maes Tegid as they won 2-0 back in October.
League form:
Haverfordwest County: ❌✅✅✅➖
Bala Town: ✅✅➖❌✅
BOTTOM SIX
Newtown (11th) v Briton Ferry Llansawel (9th) | Friday – 19:45
After spending three seasons in the Top Six, Newtown have failed to reach the goal this year, and worse than that, the Robins start the second phase of the season in the relegation zone.
Newtown and Aberystwyth Town are the only two clubs that have been ever-present since the formation of the league in 1992 and it is possible that we could bid farewell to both teams if their results do not improve significantly.
The Robins are on a disastrous run of 11 games without a win (D1, L10) scoring just five goals in their last 10 outings.
Callum McKenzie is still waiting for his first point after seven successive defeats since being appointed as Newtown’s new manager.
Briton Ferry Llansawel will start the second phase two points above Newtown and the drop zone, and the results along with the confidence have gradually improved at the Old Road as the season has progressed.
There was nothing to separate the teams in the first phase with Newtown winning 1-0 at home, and Briton Ferry Llansawel winning 2-1 in the corresponding match, but the momentum is certainly with Briton Ferry after they won 6-1 at Aberystwyth Town in their last game before the split.
League form:
Newtown: ͏❌❌❌❌❌
Briton Ferry Llansawel: ❌✅➖❌✅
Aberystwyth Town (12th) v Barry Town United (7th) | Friday – 20:00
Aberystwyth Town, like Newtown, have been continuous members of the Welsh Premier League since 1992 and both clubs are in danger of falling out of the league for the first time ever.
Aberystwyth Town were bottom of the pile at the end of the first phase, and since the formation of the 12-team format in 2010 no team has ever managed to climb out of the bottom two after starting the second part of the season at the bottom the table.
Barry Town United will also feel frustrated as they felt that they had done enough to reach the Top Six, but as the match between Connah’s Quay and Bala was replayed Barry Town United slipped into the bottom half.
Barry Town United have gone on a five-game winless run for the first time this season, but the Dragons start the second phase four points clear in the race for 7th place and it will be an exciting battle between themselves and Connah’s Quay to reach the play-offs.
Aberystwyth Town won 1-0 at home against Barry Town United in August, before Barry did the same in the corresponding match, winning 1-0 at home in September.
League form:
Aberystwyth Town: ͏❌✅➖❌❌
Barry Town United: ❌❌❌➖➖
Flint Town United (10th) v Connah’s Quay (8th) | Saturday – 14:30
Connah’s Quay have finished in the top two in five of the last six seasons (deducted 18pts in the 2021/22 season), but the Nomads have failed to reach the Top Six this year.
Connah’s Quay finished 9th in the 2021/22 season after receiving an 18-point penalty for playing an ineligible player, but otherwise the Nomads have reached the Top Six on every occasion since finishing 7th in 2014/15.
It will therefore be a new challenge for Billy Paynter and the team, but they will be determined to close the gap on Barry Town United and claim 7th place in order to reach the play-offs.
Flint Town United are in a battle to avoid the drop with three other clubs, but the Silkmen did not lose any of their six fixtures against those clubs in the first phase of the season (beating Aberystwyth and Newtown twice and taking 4pts against BF Llansawel).
Flint Town United have won their last three home matches but having said that they were on the wrong end of a 7-2 thrashing in their ‘away’ game against Connah’s Quay at the Essity Stadium on Boxing Day.
August 2011 was the last time Flint Town United beat Connah’s Quay, and since then the Nomads have not lost any of their 12 meetings with the Silkmen (W10, D2).
League form:
Flint Town United: ͏✅❌❌✅❌
Connah’s Quay: ͏➖✅❌❌❌
Highlights of all matches will be available on Sgorio’s online accounts.