WELSH ROUND-UP
THE New Saints ensured the battle for the JD Cymru Premier title will go right down to the wire as they beat Barry Town United 3-0 to force Connah’s Quay Nomads to go again next weekend.
But Nomads boss Andy Morrison says his side are ready “to climb one last mountain” at Penybont on Saturday to keep the title in the trophy cabinet.
“Four times in the last five years 76 points would have been good enough to win the title,” said Morrison. “We know we’ve got one last mountain to climb at Penybont and we are ready to do that.
“We knew we had to win against Caernarfon to keep it in our hands and we needed to get that second goal after we went 1-0 up. Now we are in a good position and may the best team win on the final weekend.”
There was a chance the Nomads could have made it back-to-back titles had Anthony Limbrick’s side bottled it at home against Barry, but after a nervy first-half they snapped into action and finished with a flourish.
A mere 30 seconds into the second half Ryn Brobbel settled the nerves with a goal from a Jamie Mullan cross. Adrian Cieslewicz then doubled the lead after running onto a Ben Clark pass before Brobbel rounded things off with a 71st minute penalty.
That left the Nomads needing to win at home against Caernarfon Town to maintain their advantage at the top and keep the title within their grasp. What they needed was a goal to calm them down and it was provided within 10 minutes by Jamie Insall.
That’s how it stayed until half-time, despite the Nomads dominating possession, and four minutes into the second half Callum Morris saw his shot back into a packed penalty area somehow cleared off the Coffis’ line.
Michael Wilde then saw a back post header beat Lewis Brass in the Caernarfon goal before bouncing off the cross bar and away to safety.
While the second goal wouldn’t come the pressure merely intensified for the home side.
The second goal eventually came in almost comical circumstances in the 66th minute. Caernarfon goalkeeper Brass was sent-off from wiping out Insall with an attempted clearance kick and that gave the Nomads a free kick just outside the area.
Kris Owens’ shot took a deflection, hit the post, rebounded to Aron Williams, who somehow kneed the ball into the back of the net.
Morris then curved a third past substitute goalkeeper Tyler French to make it 3-0 and he got another in added time when he toe-poked home a shot from 12 yards to earn the man of the match award.
Bala Town had an injury time goal from Nathan Peate to thanks for their 1-0 home win over Penybont. They will both have big parts to play next weekend when Penybont receive the Nomads and Bala travel to Park Hall to face TNS.
Newtown ensured they will go into the play-offs for the fourth and final European place after clinching the Play-Off Conference thanks to a 2-1 win at Haverfordwest County. Given the Robins came into the second phase nine points behind the Bluebirds they have done an incredible job to overtake them.
All the action came in the first half with Tyrone Ofori scoring inside two minutes for the visitors before Ben Fawcett levelled on 18 minutes. Newtown hit the front after five minute later when Kieran Mills-Evans headed home from another corner and that was that.
The Cardiff Met students did all they could to close the gap and hit relegated Cefn Druids for six.
Ollie Hulbert opened the scoring, Eliot Evans grabbed two and there were further goals from Lewis Rees, Tom Price and Tom Davies.
In the other Play-Off Conference game, Flint Town United and Aberystwyth Town played out a goal less draw.
