Next Friday night, on the 9th of January the first phase of the JD Cymru Premier season will come to a close, and the league will be split in two, but before then, the top two teams have games in hand to play this Saturday.
After beating The New Saints on New Year’s Eve, Connah’s Quay will be hoping to continue their excellent run at home against Barry Town United, a club aiming to seal their place in the Top Six this year.
And the Oswestry outfit will be keen to bounce back immediately following their loss against the Nomads, as they host a struggling Bala Town side, who have slipped into the relegation zone after picking up just one point from their last five games.
Saturday, 3 January
Connah’s Quay (2nd) v Barry Town United (6th) | Saturday – 14:30
It seemed like the race for the championship was done and dusted at the beginning of December when The New Saints were 12 points clear at the top of the JD Cymru Premier.
But Connah’s Quay have brought the competition back to life by winning seven successive league matches, closing the gap between themselves and the champions to only four points.
John Disney’s team have taken 31 points out of a possible 33 in their last 11 league games with Harry Franklin starring for the Nomads, and the Irishman is the first player to reach double figures for goals and assists alike in the league this season (11 goals, 10 assists).
Like Connah’s Quay, Barry Town United finished the year strongly, going on a run of 12 games without defeat in all competitions, but that impressive record came to an end on New Year’s Eve with the Dragons losing 2-1 against Briton Ferry Llansawel.
However, Steve Jenkins’ side are still in a promising position to secure their place in the Top Six for the first time since the 2020/21 season, as they are level on points with Cardiff Met (7th), with a better goal difference, and a game in hand.
Remaining fixtures:
Connah’s Quay: BARR (h) CFON (a) ͏
Barry Town United: CQ (a), LLI (h)
Even if Barry Town were to lose against Connah’s Quay, they will still be favourites to take 6th place as their last game is at home against Llanelli Town (12th), while Cardiff Met need to travel to Pen-y-bont (3rd) next Friday.
But the Barry boys will be confident of getting the job done this Saturday, as they have only lost one of their last five contests against Connah’s Quay (W3, D1).
League form:
Connah’s Quay: ✅✅✅✅✅
Barry Town United: ➖✅➖✅❌
The New Saints (1st) v Bala Town (11th) | Saturday – 14:30
The title race certainly isn’t over yet, as Connah’s Quay proved on New Year’s Eve that they are ready to compete for the championship in the second phase of the season.
The 3-1 loss on Wednesday was the Saints’ first league defeat against Connah’s Quay since that memorable match at Park Hall in April 2021 when Michael Wilde scored a first half hat-trick for the Nomads against his former club.
Despite the disappointing result, Saints striker Jordan Williams managed to find the net yet again, stretching his tally to 20 league goals this season, and if Williams continues his current form, then he could be the first player to reach the 30-goal milestone since Rhys Griffiths did so in 2009/10.
Remaining fixtures:
The New Saints: BALA (h), BC (h)
Bala Town: TNS (a), FTU (a)
Having won just one of their last 12 fixtures, Bala Town have plummeted into the relegation zone, but it’s very tight at the bottom with only two points separating Briton Ferry Llansawel (9th), Flint Town United (10th) and Bala Town (11th) in the battle to avoid the drop.
Bala Town have failed to reach the Top Six for the first time in 12 years, but considering the mass overhaul during the summer, survival was always going to be the main target for Steve Fisher this season.
The Saints have won their last three meetings with Bala Town, including the 2-0 victory at Maes Tegid in the reverse fixture in September.
League form:
The New Saints: ❌✅✅✅❌
Bala Town: ❌❌➖❌❌
Highlights will be available on Sgorio’s online platforms.
