Barry Town United staged a second half comeback for the second week in a row in the JD Cymru Premier as Ollie Hulbert’s brace earned a 2-1 win away to Connah’s Quay Nomads on Saturday.
The Nomads triumphed 7-0 in this fixture last season and they took the lead in the 40th minute on this occasion as Jack Kenny latched onto Fumpa Mwandwe’s low delivery and slid the ball home for his first goal of the season.
Barry levelled nine minutes into the second half when Hulbert squeezed an effort past George Ratcliffe, before the Linnets forward snatched the winner in the 89th minute as he intercepted a wayward pass from Noah Edwards and clipped the ball beyond Ratcliffe to secure his side their first win over the Nomads in nearly three years.
Penybont maintained top spot with a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Caernarfon Town – the side who beat them in the European play-off final last season.
The opening goal arrived four minutes before half-time as Billy Borge’s header upfield was latched onto by Keyon Reffell, who shrugged off Matty Jones before finishing into the bottom corner.
Reffell’s strike remained all that separated the sides in what was a tightly contested second half, but Bont eventually found the all-important second goal through Clayton Green three minutes before the final whistle.
James Crole spotted Green’s darting run into the area and sent a low ball into the path of the midfielder who simply could not miss from close range for his second goal in two games.
Second-place Cardiff Met also continued their unbeaten start to the season and remain level on points with Penybont at the top of the table following their 1-0 win away at Bala Town.
Lakesiders defender Nathan Burke went close to giving his side an early lead as his dipping header was denied by the woodwork.
The only goal of the game arrived courtesy of a free-flowing Met move in the 34th minute. Dixon Kabongo drove forward and played a one-two with Lewis Rees before laying the ball off to Eliot Evans, who controlled the ball on the turn before sending a composed finish into the bottom corner for his first goal since February.
Flint Town United claimed their first points of the season as Elliott Reeves’ double earned a 2-0 win away to Aberystwyth Town.
Reeves, who hit 30 goals in the JD Cymru North last season, was making his first start of the campaign after returning from injury and instantly made his mark in the top-flight by the turning the ball home from Ben Wynne’s low shot in the 35th minute.
The forward doubled his and Flint’s tally six minutes into the second half when the Silkmen snatched the ball in the final third, with Florian Yonsian puling the ball back to Reeves, who clinically found the bottom corner. Lee Fowler’s side remain in the bottom two but are now just one point behind Aberystwyth.
Haverfordwest County suffered their first loss of the season as Adrian Cieslewicz’s fierce strike gave reigning champions The New Saints a narrow 1-0 win at the LHP Stadium.
Cieslewicz’s goal arrived with 21 minutes on the clock as he took a pass from Sion Bradley into his stride and cut in from the left before clinically curling an effort into the far corner with help from the post to. It’s three wins from three games so far for the Saints.
Briton Ferry Llansawel continue to go in search of their first points since promotion after a 1-0 defeat to Newtown at Latham Park.
Josh Lock was denied by the crossbar in the first half but it was his clever through ball just after the hour mark that played in Aaron Williams, who finished emphatically past Rhys Wilson into the top corner.
Weekend results in full:
Bala Town 0-1 Cardiff Met
Connah’s Quay Nomads 1-2 Barry Town United
Haverfordwest County 0-1 The New Saints
Newtown 1-0 Briton Ferry Llansawel
Penybont 2-0 Caernarfon Town
Aberystwyth Town 0-2 Flint Town United
