The JD Cymru Premier play-offs begin this weekend, as four teams compete to take the league’s final spot in next season’s Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the play-off final at the ground of the highest-ranked team on Saturday 13 May.
Bala Town vs Newtown (Friday 5 May, 7:45pm)
Colin Caton will have to pick his Bala Town side up from their 6-0 defeat to The New Saints in last weekend’s JD Welsh Cup final if they are add to another stamp to their passport this summer.
The Lakesiders have participated in European competition in eight of the last 10 years, but rarely have they had to qualify through the play-offs.
They won the play-offs in 2013 to qualify for Europe for the first time, but lost in the final to Cardiff Met in their most recent experience in 2019 – having beaten Friday’s opponents Newtown in the semi-final.
It has been a challenging few months for Bala, who did not win any of their 10 phase two matches and lost their last four in succession to finish fifth in the table.
Newtown have fond memories of the play-offs, having won the most recent edition by beating Caernarfon Town 5-3 in the 2021 final after also triumphing in 2015.
The Robins won a European tie for only the second time last summer, winning a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Faroe Islands side HB Torshavn in the Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
Chris Hughes’ team finished sixth in the table after winning just twice in phase two, but those two victories came against Bala thanks to decisive strikes in the 91st minute on both occasions.
Louis Robles was the hero in a 3-2 win at Latham Park, while Zeli Ismail struck late on in a 2-1 away win at Maes Tegid. It came after the Lakesiders won both meetings between the two clubs in phase one.
Bala Town vs Newtown will be available to watch live on Sgorio’s online platforms and your smart TV.
Cardiff Met vs Haverfordwest County (Saturday 6 May, 5:15pm)
A fourth-place finish for Cardiff Met is their highest placing since promotion to the JD Cymru Premier in 2016 and they now get another shot at the play-offs which they have had mixed fortunes in down the years.
After losing in the 2017 and 2018 finals, the Archers finally succeeded in 2019 by beating Bala Town on penalties in the final – earning a spot in European competition for the first time since three appearances in the UEFA Cup in the 1990s.
Christian Edwards’ side finished the regular season with back-to-back wins over Newtown and Bala Town, while at the start of phase two they became the only side to beat The New Saints in the JD Cymru Premier this season.
This will be Haverfordwest County’s first time participating in the European play-offs, while their previous appearance in continental competition came in a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Icelandic side Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar in the UEFA Cup in 2004.
The Bluebirds finished six points clear at the top of the Play-Off Conference after winning six of their 10 matches in phase two.
Tony Pennock’s men are unbeaten in their last seven games, making them the in-form team in play-offs – albeit against bottom half opposition.
A Sam Jones own goal saw Haverfordwest win 1-0 in the first meeting between these two sides this season, while Jones scored at the right end alongside Lewis Rees as Met won 2-0 in the reverse fixture at Cyncoed Campus.
Cardiff Met vs Haverfordwest County will be available to watch live on S4C and Sgorio’s digital platforms.
