Connah’s Quay Nomads secured automatic European qualification with a 4-2 victory over Caernarfon Town at the Go Goodwins Stadium on Friday, before third-place Penybont dropped points on Saturday afternoon in the JD Cymru Premier.
The Nomads made the perfect start to the contest as Harry Franklin scored with just 20 seconds on the clock by latching onto Noah Edwards’ long ball and slotting beyond Connor Roberts for his 13th league goal of the season.
Caernarfon quickly equalised as Phil Mooney headed home at the back post from Josh Lock’s corner. However, Mooney’s late challenge on Edwards nine minutes before half-time resulted in a Nomads penalty, which Rhys Hughes calmly converted to restore his side’s lead.
Edwards added his name to the scoresheet by retrieving a loose ball from Franklin’s blocked pass and firing into the bottom corner before Callum West grabbed a fourth goal for the visitors with a composed close-range finish from Franklin’s flick-on.
Caernarfon teenager Rio Owen headed in from Paulo Mendes’ cross in stoppage-time, but that only proved to be a consolation as the Nomads picked up their first victory of the JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference.
JD Cymru Premier
Connah’s Quay’s spot in Europe was confirmed when champions The New Saints earned a 2-1 victory over Penybont thanks to Jordan Williams’ late strike at the DragonBet Stadium on Saturday.
Penybont took the lead in the 20th minute as Chris Venables met Kane Owen’s corner and glanced his header into the net at the near post for his first goal since August.
However, Saints were awarded a penalty 10 minutes later as Bont goalkeeper Archie Matthews collided with Williams inside the area. Ryan Brobbel stepped up and fired his penalty into the bottom corner, sending Matthews the wrong way in the process. Rory Holden thought he had put Saints ahead when he fired into the top corner from close range, but Williams was offside in the build-up and the goal was ruled out.
Craig Harrison’s side were not to be denied again though, as Williams controlled the ball inside the area, skipped past Owain Warlow and slotted home at the near post to complete the comeback in the second minute of stoppage time. Saints have won their last eight league games, while Bont’s winless run stretches to seven matches.
Defeat for Bont allowed Colwyn Bay to climb up to third in the table with a 3-1 victory over Barry Town United at the Blue Turtle Arena on Saturday.
Louis Robles put Bay ahead in first half stoppage-time by running onto Alex Moore’s through ball and squeezing his effort beyond George Ratcliffe to bag his sixth league goal of the season.
The Seagulls doubled their advantage nine minutes after the restart with a swift attacking move as Jordan Davies controlled George Hughes’ long ball and set up Aeron Edwards, who unleashed a clinical first-time effort into the net.
Edwards’ only other goal this season came in August, but the veteran midfielder soon had a brace 14 minutes later as he received Davies’ short pass and sent a deft lob into the far corner, leaving Ratcliffe no chance of the save.
Mikey George got Barry on the scoresheet as he received Ben Margetson’s pass down the right flank, cut inside and saw his low cross-turned-shot travel into the bottom corner. However, the visitors were immediately left frustrated once more as substitute Keenan Patten was shown a straight red card for a foul on Davies. Bay saw out the closing stages to secure back-to-back home wins.
Haverfordwest County strengthened their place at the top of the Play-Off Conference with a 1-0 win over Cardiff Met at Ogi Bridge Meadow on Friday.
Met thought they had taken the lead on the stroke of half time as Joe Clarke bundled home Barnaby Soady’s corner, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on Haverfordwest goalkeeper Ifan Knott.
Haverfordwest found a late breakthrough with 10 minutes of normal time remaining as substitute Owain Jones fired the ball home from just three yards out after Met failed to clear Rhys Abbruzzese’s corner. The Bluebirds held onto their lead to secure their fifth clean sheet in six games.
Defeat for Met allowed Bala Town to move within five points of safety after the Lakesiders earned a 1-1 draw against in-form Flint Town United at the Essity Stadium on Saturday.
Bala thought they had grabbed an early lead when Cameron Ferguson headed home from Sam Billington’s free-kick, but the forward was deemed to be in an offside position.
Flint found the breakthrough midway through the first half as Jack Thorn met Jake Phillips’ corner and planted his header into the bottom corner for his first goal since November.
However, Bala levelled the scoreline six minutes into the second half as Ferguson’s volley took a wicked deflection off Ben Woollam and found the roof of the net, leaving Jack Flint outwitted.
The Lakesiders came agonisingly close to completing a turnaround when Ferguson saw his header cleared off the line by Thorn before Will Bell had two efforts in quick succession saved by Flint from just a few yards out. The hosts were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time as Ben Wynne was shown a straight red card for a high boot on Liam Higgins, but it did not affect the result as both sides shared the points.
Briton Ferry Llansawel maintained pressure on Play-Off Conference leaders Haverfordwest with a 2-0 win over already-relegated Llanelli Town at Stebonheath on Friday.
Ferry took just eight minutes to open the scoring as Sean Cronin’s goal-line clearance to deny Kian Jenkins’ low drive fell kindly to 18-year-old Ricky-Lee Owen, who volleyed in the rebound for his first goal since November.
Ferry goalkeeper Will Fuller made important saves to deny Tristan Jenkins and Morgan Evans in the second half to keep his clean intact. Owen’s fellow teenage star Ollie Anderson came off the bench to wrap up all three points for the visitors in stoppage time as he applied a simple finish from Tom Walters’ low ball across the face of goal. It is now the sixth time this season Anderson and Walters have combined for a goal.
Weekend results in full:
Caernarfon Town 2-4 Connah’s Quay Nomads
Haverfordwest County 1-0 Cardiff Met
Llanelli Town 0-2 Briton Ferry Llansawel
Flint Town United 1-1 Bala Town
Colwyn Bay 3-1 Barry Town United
Penybont 1-2 The New Saints
