The New Saints staged a superb second half comeback to triumph 3-2 over Penybont in a huge top-of-the-table clash at Park Hall on Saturday.
The champions started strong after their shock midweek defeat to Briton Ferry, but suddenly found themselves 2-0 after 31 minutes as in-form James Crole bagged a quickfire brace. The 20-year-old avoided multiple challenges from Harrison McGahey to score his first, before smashing home a loose ball in the box to double the advantage.
However, Josh Pask put TNS on the comeback trail when he headed home from Ben Clark’s free-kick five minutes into the second half and Danny Davies drew the hosts level in the 65th minute as he smartly finished past Adam Przybek from Ryan Brobbel’s cross.
The winning goal arrived with just one minute left on the clock, as Saints captain Danny Redmond produced a perfectly placed curling effort from the edge of the box to dramatically earn his side victory. TNS are now only one point behind league leaders Bont with a game in hand.
Flint Town United climbed out of the relegation zone as Harry Owen’s late goal sealed a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home to Briton Ferry Llansawel.
The Silkmen broke the deadlock just before the hour mark as a well-worked team move was finished off by Mikey Burke, but Ferry equalised just four minutes later when an unmarked Keiran Williams headed home from Tom Price’s corner.
Owen scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute when Jake Phillips’ free-kick into the box found the Flint captain of acres of space and he finished calmly past Will Fuller to secure his side’s first win in six league matches.
Cardiff Met strengthened their place in the top six with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Aberystwyth Town in Antonio Corbisiero’s first game back in charge of the Seasiders.
After a goalless first half, Lewis Rees put the Archers ahead two minutes into the second period with a brilliantly placed free-kick into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Rees was involved again in Met’s second goal in the 80th minute as his corner was headed in by Tom Vincent, before Matt Chubb wrapped up the win moments later as he flicked Eliot Evans’ inviting cross.
Ryan Jenkins’ side are now six points clear in the top half, while Aberystwyth Town remain bottom of the table and four points adrift of safety.
Bala Town drew for the sixth consecutive league match as they shared the points with Haverfordwest County in a goalless draw at the LHP Stadium.
The closest either side came to scoring was when Lakesiders forward Osebi Abadaki forced Bluebirds goalkeeper Zac Jones into a fingertip save with a dipping cross-turned-shot in the second half.
It was a 10th league clean sheet of the season for third-place Haverfordwest, who have the best defence in the division with just eight goals conceded. Bala remain in seventh, two points adrift of a top half spot.
Weekend results in full:
Newtown P-P Connah’s Quay Nomads
Caernarfon Town P-P Barry Town United
Cardiff Met 3-0 Aberystwyth Town
Flint Town United 2-1 Briton Ferry Llansawel
Haverfordwest County 0-0 Bala Town
The New Saints 3-2 Penybont
