Barry Town United completed Phase 1 of the JD Welsh Premier League season by moving back top of the table after producing a 2-1 win against Aberystwyth Town.

Connah’s Quay had begun the day in pole position but were handed a shock late defeat against Carmarthen Town, whilst The New Saints claimed their latest convincing win at the expense of Llanelli to leave the top three teams separated by just two points.

This season’s title race will be concluded in Phase 2 which will consist of ten further rounds of games between the top-six clubs, and even Gavin Chesterfield will find it hard to deny his team have played themselves into a position where they must be considered bona-fide title contenders.

Momodou Touray gave Barry Town the perfect start when he converted Macaulay Southam-Hales’ delivery inside the second minute.

Touray then took his goal tally into double digits, firing home a second from close range to give Barry Town a healthy two-goal advantage.

Aberystwyth were rewarded for their improved second-half display when Porya Ahmadi hit a well-struck free-kick past Mike Lewis shortly after the hour mark and continued to assert themselves on the game.

Looking to end a miserable run of five consecutive defeats, the Seasiders almost forced an equaliser when Joe Phillips’ effort struck the upright and Ahmadi flashed a shot over the crossbar from an Aber corner.

Any hopes of ending that run were dashed when the visitors finished with 10-men after Alan Goodall picked up his second caution of the night.

Connah’s Quay were rocked by two late goals as Carmarthen Town rallied to an shock win at Richmond Park.

Greg Walters scored nine minutes into the second period for the Old Gold to cancel out Michael Bakare’s first-half opener, before Callum Morris restored Connah’s Quay lead six minutes later.

It seemed that the Nomads might be forced to settle for a point when Carmarthen’s Luke Cummings curled in a delightful free-kick from outside the area, but the game would take a dramatic late twist deep into deep into added time when Liam Thomas converted from the penalty spot to dent the Nomads’ title charge.

The New Saints fired another ominous warning to their title rivals and moved into second-place after cruising to a 5-0 win at home to Leon Britton-less Llanelli.

Kurtis Byrne put Saints firmly in the driving seat with first-half brace before completing his hat-trick in style with a bicycle kick finish. Second half substitutes Dean Ebbe and Greg Draper both added their names to the scoresheet as Scott Ruscoe’s side notched a fifth-straight win without conceding a single goal.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Bala Town 1-3 Caernarfon Town, Carmarthen 3-2 Connah’s Quay, Barry Town 2-1 Aberystwyth, Llandudno 0-3 Cardiff Met, Newtown 1-1 Cefn Druids, The New Saints 5-0 Llanelli

Bala Town 1 Henry Jones 4′
Caernarfon Town 3 Darren Thomas 61′ Danny Brookwell 73 Nathan Craig 90’+3(p)

Bala Town
1. Ashley Morris, 2. Andrew Burns, 3. Sean Smith, 6. Anthony Miley, 4. Stuart Jones, 8. Nathan Burke, 11. Kieran Smith, 25. Chris Venables, 77. Henry Jones, 7. Steven Tames, 9. Mike Hayes (17. Danny Gosset 74′) Subs not used: 10. Ian Sheridan, 5. Stuart J Jones, 16. Ryan Valentine, 12. Evan Horwood, 22. Josh Jones

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: S.Smith 35′ Burns 61′

Caernarfon Town
1. Alex Ramsey, 3. Nathan Craig, 5. Gareth Edwards, 7. Gareth Evans, 8. Jamie Crowther, 9. Jamie Breese (6. Rhys Roberts 86′), 10. Darren Thomas, 16. Kevin Roberts (2. Joe Williams 69′), 17. Ryan Williams, 19. Sion Bradley (11. Danny Brookwell 69′), 20. Cai Jones Subs not used: 18. Dion Owen, 22. Nick Bould (gk)

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Edwards 80′ Craig 85′

Attendance: 561 Referee: Mark Petch

Barry Town United 2 Momodou Touray 2′ 18′
Aberystwyth Town 1 Porya Ahmadi 65′

Barry Town United
1. Mike Lewis, 21. Macauley Southam-Hales, 4. Luke Cooper, 5. Curtis Watkins, 3. Chris Hugh, 8. Troy Greening, 6. Robbie Patten, 39. Thomas Fry (14. Evan Press 89′), 7. Kayne McLaggon, 9. Momodou Touray, 15. Louis Gerrard (11. Drew Fahiya 68′) Subs not used: 2. Paul Morgan, 16. Jonathan Hood, 32. Lee Kendall (gk), 25. Joseph Baker

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: None

Aberystwyth Town
1. Terry McCormick, 2. Wes Baynes, 3. Stefan Edwards (15. Lee Jenkins 58′), 4. Alan Goodall, 5. Ryan Wollacott, 7. Geoff Kellaway (18. Nashawn Blake 81′), 8. Paolo Mendes, 9. Porya Ahmadi, 14. Ryan Edwards, 24. Ashley Ruane, 27. Joe Phillips Subs not used: 20. Harri Rowe, 23. Liam Berner

Red Cards: Goodall 90′
Yellow Cards: R.Edwards 80′ Goodall 67′ & 90′

Attendance: 489 Referee: Rob Jenkins

Carmarthen Town 3 Greg Walters 54′ Luke Cummings 82′ Liam Thomas 90’+5(p)
Connah’s Quay Nomads 2 Michael Bakare 22′ Callum Morris 60′

Carmarthen Town
1. Lee Idzi, 2. Luke Cummings, 18. Liam Thomas, 6. Lee Surman, 14. Ceri Morgan, 20. Aidan O’Kelly (5. Craig Hanford 76′), 12. Jordan Vickers (19. Jay Woodford), 9. Luke Bowen, 4. Dave Vincent, 15. Lewis Baldwin, 8. Greg Walters Subs not used: 20. Danny Thomas, 17. Sean Hanbury, 23. Dwayne Coultress

Red Cards: Baldwin 86′
Yellow Cards: Walters 45’+1 Vincent 49′ Walters 72′ Baldwin 85 & 86 Thomas 90’+4 Idzi

Connah’s Quay Nomads
1. John Danby, 15. Danny Holmes, 17. Michael Parker, 5. George Horan, 2. John Disney, 21. Rob Hughes (6. Danny Harrison 64′), 8. Callum Morris, 16. James Owen (11. Nathan Woolfe 89′), 22. Michael Bakare, 10. Andrew Owens, 9. Michael Wilde Subs not used: 28. Jon Rushton (gk), 4. Jonny Spittle, 25. Dominic Elsey-McHugh

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Horan 75′ Harrison 90’+3

Attendance: 246 Referee: Bryn Markham-Jones

Llandudno FC 0
Cardiff Met University 3 Charlie Corsby 24′ Harry Owen 33′ Chris Baker 58′

Llandudno FC
1. Shaun Pearson, 16. Ben Clark, 8. Danny Hughes, 6. Kai Edwards, 3. Zebb Edwards (17. Telor Williams 56′), 7. Jay Gibbs, 18. Mark Connolly (5. Tom Owens 42′), 9. Ryan Wade (14. Alun Webb 56′), 21. Toby Jones, 15. Les Davies, 10. George Harry Subs not used: 13. William Jones (gk), 20. Osian Jones, 12. Aron Hughes

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Z.Edwards 20′ K.Edwards 77′

Cardiff Met University
25. Alex Lang, 2. Dylan Rees (18. Rhydian Morgan 51′), 3. Kyle McCarthy, 4. Bradley Woolridge, 5. Emlyn Lewis, 7. Eliot Evans (23. Tim Parker 80′), 8. Chris Baker (16. Guto Williams 80′), 10. Charlie Corsby, 11. Will Evans, 14. Joel Edwards, 21. Harry Owen Subs not used: 22. Liam Black, 29. Harri Horwood, 36. Dion Phillips, 1. Will Fuller (gk)

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Rees 21′ Baker 76′

Attendance: 134 Referee: Cheryl Foster

Newtown AFC 1 Neil Mitchell 73′
Cefn Druids 1 Fisnik Hajdari 27′(p)

Newtown AFC
1. Dave Jones, 3. Callum Roberts, 5. Kieran Mills-Evans, 6. Jay Denny, 7. Neil Mitchell, 8. Nick Rushton, 10. Steve Leslie (17. Sam Phillips 62′), 11. Joe Kenton (9. Luke Boundford 62′), 18. George Hughes, 19. T.Craig Williams, 23. Alex Fletcher (14. Ethan Jones 73′) Subs not used: 13. Jack Perry (gk), , 24. Jake Cook, 25. Will Evans

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Fletcher 55′

Cefn Druids
1. Michael Jones, 6. Nathan Peate, 9. Dean Rittenberg, 11. James Davies, 14. Ryan Kershaw, 15. Aaron Simpson, 16. Iwan Cartwright, 19. Fisnik Hajdari, 23. John Owen, 32. Neil Ashton (3. Naim Arsan 31′), 33. Jack Kenny Subs not used: 8. Alec Mudimu, 10. Jordan Evans, 27. Alun Morris

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Kenny 22′ Hajdari 64′

Attendance: 235 Referee: Iwan Griffith

The New Saints FC 5 Kurtis Byrne 7′ 37′ 58′ Dean Ebbe 73′ Greg Draper 88′
Llanelli Town 0

The New Saints FC
1. Paul Harrison, 2. Simon Spender, 3. Chris Marriott, 4. Tom Holland (17. Dean Ebbe 64′), 6. Jon Routledge, 8. Ryan Brobbel, 10. Daniel Redmond, 12. Blaine Hudson (5. Jack Bodenham 66′), 14. Jamie Mullan, 21. Kurtis Byrne (9. Greg Draper 64′), 23. Aeron Edwards Subs not used: 30. Lewis Dutton (gk), 11. Adrian Cieslewicz, 22. Kane Lewis

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: None

Llanelli Town
1. Scott Coughlan, 14. Daniel Alfei, 6. Scott Tancock, 26. Lee Bevan, 5. Kurtis March, 4. Anthony Finselbach (32. Joe Dyer 77′), 23. Joe Clark, 8. Jordan Davies, 28. Michael George, 17. Chris Jones (16. Ross Jones 67′), 11. James Loveridge Subs not used: 20. Luke Morgan, 19. Jamie Owen, 22. Tristan Jenkins

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: None

Attendance: 292 Referee: Kevin Parry

STANDINGS AT END OF PHASE 1

1	Barry Town United FC	22	15	2	5	40	31	9	47
2	The New Saints	22	14	4	4	63	12	51	46
3	Connah’s Quay Nomads	22	14	3	5	59	23	36	45
4	Newtown	22	10	6	6	38	29	9	36
5	Caernarfon Town	22	9	7	6	32	26	6	34
6	Bala Town	22	10	4	8	43	38	5	34
7	Cardiff Metropolitan University	22	9	3	10	35	31	4	30
8	Aberystwyth Town	22	8	3	11	26	43	-17	27
9	Carmarthen Town AFC	22	6	6	10	30	42	-12	24
10	Cefn Druids	22	5	6	11	26	40	-14	21
11	Llanelli Town AFC	22	4	3	15	21	70	-49	15
12	Llandudno FC	22	2	5	15	17	45	-28	11