Welsh Round-Up: Top two win again but settle for less…

WELSH ROUND-UP

By Rob Cole

AFTER THE midweek goal glut, the top two teams in the Championship Conference of the JD Cymru Premier League had to settle for smaller margins of victory as they maintained their rivalry.

Top of the table The New Saints were hoping to deliver a third win on the bounce for their new manager Anthony Limbrick, but couldn’t find the target as easily as they had done last weekend in the firsthalf of their clash with Penybont at Park Hall.

Despite having the better chances, all they earned in the first 45 minutes were yellow cards for Ryan Brobbel and Adrian Cieslewicz. The pressure finally told three minutes into the second half when Ben Clark played in Louis Robles who provided the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory.

Having been thrashed at home against TNS earlier in the week, Barry Town United headed to north Wales to meet second placed Connah’s Quay Nomads determined not to be hit for six again.

The Nomads, who also scored six at Caernarfon Town, had a penalty appeal for handball turned down in the 11th minute but took the lead 10 minutes later when Michael Wilde struck to put the champions ahead. They had a chance to double their lead on the half-hour mark when they won a penalty after hitting the post.

Up stepped Callum Morris but Barry goalkeeper Mike Lewis pushed his shot onto a post and away to safety to keep the visitors in the game. Former Welsh international David Cotterill then saw a longrange shot from a free-kick swerve just wide for Barry and it remained 1-0 at the break and through to the end.

The prolific Chris Venables gave third-placed Bala Town the lead in their home clash with bottom-of-the-table Caernarfon Town, but there was sting in the tail in the first half from the visitors. Having levelled through Jacob Bickerstaff, they took the lead in stoppage time with a penalty from Mike Hayes.

That left Bala needing to fightback, which they did. Jonny Spittle levelled matters before Will Evans put them back in front with a goal on 70 minutes and Venables and Evans both made it a brace at the death to make it 5-2 in the end.

Flint Town United made it three wins in a row in the Play-Off Conference as they notched a 1-0 win at Aberystwyth Town thanks to a 73rd minute goal from Josh Amiss. That moved them three points clear of the Seasiders, who are yet to win a game in phase two, in third place.

Top of the table Haverfordwest County came unstuck at their nearest rivals, Newtown, where they found themselves trailing by three goals at the break after a barnstorming firsthalf from the home side before eventually losing 5-1.

Tyrone Ofori kicked off the goal rush for the hosts in the 26th minute before Lifumpa Mwandwe added a second two minutes later. Shane Sutton then headed home a free-kick in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the half and the points were virtually in the bag by the break.

It soon became 4-0 when Mwandwe bagged his second goal before Corey Shepherd pulled one back for the visitors just after the hour mark. Jordan Evans rounded things off with a fifth goal for the home side.

In the battle of the basement boys at Cefn Druids, Cardiff Met took the lead with a priceless Eliot Evans goal in the 33rd minute to leave the Ancients, who are bottom of the table, chasing the game. Ryan Kershaw levelled things up just before the break but Matthew Chubb put the students back in front on 52 minutes to earn his side a 2-1 victory and maximum points on the road.