It’s time for matchday nine in the JD Cymru Premier, with all clubs taking to the field in midweek. Here are the key games to watch.
Caernarfon Town v The New Saints (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
The New Saints have once again set the pace in the JD Cymru Premier this season, with their emphatic 5-1 win over Cardiff Met on Friday night moving them onto 20 points from a possible 24 so far.
Craig Harrison’s side travel to Caernarfon Town on Tuesday night, with the Cofis also making a strong start to the campaign.
Phil Mooney’s 84th minute header against Pontypridd United on Saturday earned a 1-0 win that lifted Caernarfon to fourth in the table.
The New Saints have won all of the last seven meetings between the two clubs in all competitions, with Caernarfon last triumphing in October 2019.
Penybont v Barry Town United (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
The Five Mile Lane derby returns on Tuesday night as 10th-place Barry Town United make the trip to third-place Penybont.
The Linnets are fresh from their first win of the season after Ollie Hulbert’s brace helped them to beat Bala Town 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Bont have secured back-to-back wins against Caernarfon Town and Aberystwyth Town and are looking to make it three on the bounce for the first time since January.
Penybont are unbeaten in their last six matches against Barry, with Rhys Griffiths’ side triumphing 4-0 when the Linnets last visited Bridgend in February 2022.
It could be a historic night for Chris Venables, who will break the all-time JD Cymru Premier appearance record if he features at the SDM Glass Stadium.
Bala Town v Aberystwyth Town (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
After watching Barry earn their first league win of the season against Bala at the weekend, Aberystwyth may sense the same opportunity when they visit Maes Tegid on Wednesday night.
The Seasiders are currently rooted to the bottom of the JD Cymru Premier table with one point from their opening eight matches. A 2-1 loss to Penybont on Friday night was their fifth consecutive defeat.
Bala dropped to sixth in the table following their defeat at Jenner Park on Saturday and they are winless in their last three league matches. They do have the second best defence in the league however, conceding just five goals in eight matches this season.
The Lakesiders are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Aberystwyth, winning seven of those. The Seasiders last defeated Bala in November 2018 thanks to a 93rd-minute winner from Declan Walker.
