Ammanford strengthened their promotion hopes in the JD Cymru South with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Newport City at the Rec on Good Friday.
Ammanford’s teenage star Dan John continued his breakthrough season with a first half brace as he opened the scoring with a curling strike into the top corner from distance inside just four minutes before flicking home from Callum Thomas’ low cross near the byline on the half-hour mark.
Owain Davies struck the post directly from a corner, but the full-back did not have to wait much longer for a goal as he tucked away the rebound from John’s saved effort to make it three.
Ammanford substitute Alex Giardelli rattled the crossbar with his free-kick, but the club’s most two experienced players combined for the fourth goal in stoppage-time as veteran defender Euros Griffiths headed home from Matt Fisher’s cross at the back post.
Wyn Thomas’ side remain a point clear inside the promotion places and will secure their place in the top three if they win away to already-relegated Cwmbran Celtic on the final day.
Fourth-place Caerau Ely maintained pressure on Ammanford with a 2-0 victory over Ynyshir Albions at Cyncoed Stadium on Saturday.
Caerau instantly posed a threat in attack and were awarded a penalty inside just four minutes following Scott Jones’ foul on Dan Griffiths. Charlie Lewis stepped up and saw his spot-kick creep into the top corner despite Harry Webber getting a hand to the ball.
Jones made a brilliant goal-line block to deny Luke Gullick, but the Young Guns eventually found their crucial second goal to wrap up all three points as Griffiths brought down Tim Parker’s header back across goal and finished from close range.
Caerau are now unbeaten in their last seven league matches (six wins, one draw) and now look forward to their trip to Pontypridd United on the final day, where Dean Wheeler’s side must better Ammanford’s result if they are to climb into the top three.
Trefelin took a step closer to the JD Cymru South title with a statement 6-0 win over Treowen Stars at Ynys Park on Friday.
Kostya Georgievsky gave Trefelin the lead in the 15th minute as he headed home from Louis Carmella-Gerrard’s cross near the byline. Callum Saunders quickly doubled the advantage as he retrieved the ball near the halfway line, drove forward and slotted past Cameron Clarke.
Jasper Jones netted a brace either side of Jacob Jones’ first senior goal, with all three finishes coming from set-piece deliveries as Tref took firm control.
Luke Bowen added his name to the scoresheet late on as his close-range header from Jordan Vickers’ cross saw him bag his 19th league goal of the season, bringing him level with Cambrian United’s Liam Eason in the race for the golden boot.
JD Cymru South
Second-place Cambrian United ensured the title race will go down to the final day following their 2-0 win over Baglan Dragons at the M&P Group 3G on Friday.
Jack Fox was involved in both goals as he found the net for the sixth time in eight games before setting up Alex Bonthron with five minutes of normal time remaining to seal victory.
The Rhondda side must defeat Llantwit Major on the final day and hope Trefelin lose to Newport City if they are to become champions. If Cambrian win and Trefelin draw, the title will be decided by goal-difference.
Jack Shaw scored a hat-trick, which included a late penalty to salvage Trethomas Bluebirds a thrilling 4-4 draw against Cardiff Draconians at the CCB Centre on Saturday.
The Dracs took the lead with 13 minutes on the clock as Jamal Roberts spotted Dan Bowen, who finished calmly when one-on-one with Aaron Jones. However, Trethomas were level 10 minutes later through Shaw’s first goal of the afternoon.
Dylan Amin – whose only other league goal this season came against Trethomas in October – put the Dracs back ahead by heading home from Marinho Manga’s cross, but the hosts made it two apiece on the stroke of half-time thanks to Travis James’ finish.
Bowen converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Sam Cawley inside the area to put the away side ahead for the third time, but the Bluebirds equalised once again as Shaw grabbed his second goal.
The theme continued late on as Cawley put the Dracs ahead with his ninth league goal of the season before Shaw completed his hat-trick with a calmly converted penalty to rescue a point in a remarkable contest.
Afan Lido secured a fourth straight league win for the first time since August 2023 following their 4-1 triumph over already-relegated Cwmbran Celtic at Princess Margaret Way on Friday.
Lido were awarded a penalty after just six minutes played as a foul on Liam Griffiths inside the area allowed the captain to step up and fire into the bottom left corner. Lido doubled their lead on 24 minutes as Griffiths’ header was cleared off the line but ricocheted back off Liam McCreesh, who claimed his fourth goal of the season.
A miscommunication from the Lido defence allowed Celtic to pull a goal back through Tom Dean’s header, but the hosts quickly restored their two-goal cushion as Sean Hanbury fed the ball into Griffiths, who turned and clinically fired past Iwan Hooper.
Griffiths turned provider for Lido’s fourth goal in stoppage-time as his looping header back into the six-yard box from Cory Woods’ cross allowed Cameron Keetch to leap and nod the ball into the net from close range.
Calvin Smith scored a late equaliser to salvage a point for Aberystwyth Town in a 2-2 draw with Llantwit Major at Park Avenue on Saturday.
Piers Juliff gave Aberystwyth an early lead as his free-kick from distance bounced awkwardly in front of Shaun Gardiner, proving too difficult for the Major goalkeeper to keep out.
However, the visitors completed the turnaround with two quickfire goals towards the end of the first half as Josh Jones finished off Connor Goldsworthy’s cutback before young talent Jack Bevan scored his eighth goal in nine games.
Major tried to hold onto their lead, but were eventually outdone in the 80th minute as Smith sent a composed finish into the bottom corner. Aberystwyth are now guaranteed a top half finish, while Major climb up to seventh in the table.
Pontypridd United returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Carmarthen Town at the LHP Stadium on Saturday.
Ponty’s winning goal arrived with just four minutes on the clock as Taylor Marsh scored his third goal of the campaign. The Dragons held on to keep their first clean sheet away from home since the start of December, while Mark Driscoll’s side also ended Carmarthen’s six-match unbeaten run.
Ponty will be without Ismail Yakubu for their next match away to Cardiff Draconians following his red card for a second bookable offence after the full-time whistle.
Weekend results in full:
Afan Lido 4-1 Cwmbran Celtic
Trefelin 6-0 Treowen Stars
Ammanford 4-0 Newport City
Cambrian United 2-0 Baglan Dragons
Caerau Ely 2-0 Ynyshir Albions
Aberystwyth Town 2-2 Llantwit Major
Carmarthen Town 0-1 Pontypridd United
Trethomas Bluebirds 4-4 Cardiff Draconians
