Connah’s Quay returned top of the JD Welsh Premier League but needed a second-half turnaround to come away with all three points from their visit to Newtown.

Newtown, previously unbeaten at Latham Park all season, led when new signing Rio Ahmadi scored 35 minutes into his debut, slotting the ball low into the bottom corner.

The Nomads were rewarded for a spell of strong pressure after the break when Danny Harrison put his side back on level terms. With 12 minutes remaining, Jake Phillips did well to keep the ball in play before his precise delivery was met by the head of veteran striker Michael Wilde, who powered in the decisive goal.

Connah’s Quay first-team coach Craig Harrison felt it was a deserved win after they improved after the break: “They’ve got good players and a good record here and a good manager, so we knew it was going to be tough.

“The first-half wasn’t a particularly good spectacle and they scored their only shot on goal, which can be a little bit demoralising, but we got through until half-time and got the lads going again and changed a few things. Then I think we deserved it with our second-half performance and I think we could’ve had three or four.”

Previous leaders Barry Town slipped to second in the table after they were beaten in Caernarfon.

Barry sit a point ahead of third-place The New Saints, who have a game in hand following the postponement of their clash with Bala Town last Thursday night.

Sion Bradley put Caernarfon in the driving seat after Darren Thomas went on a mazy run and slipped the ball through.

Nathan Craig sealed the points with an explosive, rising left-footed drive from the edge of the area that flew in past Mike Lewis.

Carmarthen Town edged past Cardiff Met thanks to another Liam Thomas strike. Thomas pounced in the 57th minute to claim his 13th goal of the season as the Old Gold move within three points of seventh-placed Met.

Cefn Druids and Llanelli finished scoreless with the visitors unable to capitalise after Nathan Peate was dismissed for the Ancients on the stroke of half-time.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Caernarfon Town 2-0 Barry Town, Carmarthen Town 1-0 Cardiff Met, Cefn Druids 0-0 Llanelli, Newtown 1-2 Connah’s Quay.

Caernarfon Town 2 Sion Bradley 65′ Nathan Craig 77′
Barry Town United 0

Caernarfon Town
1. Alex Ramsey, 2. Joe Williams, 3. Nathan Craig, 5. Gareth Edwards, 7. Gareth Evans, 8. Jamie Crowther, 9. Jamie Breese (20. Cai Jones 83′), 10. Darren Thomas (16. Kevin Roberts 90′), 11. Danny Brookwell (19. Sion Bradley 55′), 17. Ryan Williams, 25. Leo Smith Subs not used: 6. Rhys Roberts, 18. Dion Owen, 21. Cai Morgan, 22. Nick Bould (gk)

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Thomas 32′ Edwards 36′ Crowther 83′

Barry Town United
1. Mike Lewis, 2. Paul Morgan, 18. Rhys Abbruzzese, 4. Luke Cooper, 5. Curtis Watkins, 6. Robbie Patten, 29. Clayton Green, 10. Jordan Cotterill (11. Drew Fahiya 78′), 9. Momodou Touray, 7. Kayne McLaggon (8. Troy Greening 78′), 16. Jonathan Hood (39. Thomas Fry 78′) Subs not used: 42. Oliver Davies (gk), 15. Louis Gerrard, 14. Evan Press

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Cotterill 44′ Patten 72′

Attendance: 752 Referee: Tom Williams

Carmarthen Town 1 Liam Thomas 58′
Cardiff Met University 0

Carmarthen Town
1. Lee Idzi, 2. Luke Cummings, 4. Dave Vincent, 6. Lee Surman, 20. Aidan O’Kelly (5. Craig Hanford 84′), 14. Ceri Morgan (10. Lewis Harling 15′), 8. Greg Walters, 16. Mael Davies, 24. Dwayne Coultress (7. Declan Carroll 61′), 18. Liam Thomas, 9. Luke Bowen Subs not used: 19. Jay Woodford, 12. Jordan Vickers

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: None

Cardiff Met University
25. Alex Lang, 2. Dylan Rees, 3. Kyle McCarthy, 4. Bradley Woolridge, 5. Emlyn Lewis, 9. Adam Roscrow, 11. Will Evans, 16. Guto Williams (36. Dion Phillips 61′), 20. Matt Neale (23. Tim Parker 88′), 21. Harry Owen, 22. Liam BlackSubs not used: 1. Will Fuller (gk), 18. Rhydian Morgan, 29. Harri Horwood, 37. Matt Clubb, 38. Liam Warman

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: McCarthy 16′ Williams 34′

Attendance: 203 Referee: Nick Pratt

Cefn Druids 0
Llanelli Town 0

Cefn Druids
1. Michael Jones, 6. Nathan Peate, 7. Matty Owen, 10. Jordan Evans, 11. James Davies (22. Arkadiusz Piskorski 11′), 14. Ryan Kershaw, 15. Aaron Simpson, 16. Iwan Cartwright, 19. Fisnik Hajdari, 23. John Owen, 33. Jack Kenny Subs not used: 8. Alec Mudimu, 9. Dean Rittenberg, 13. Niki-Lee Bulmer (gk), 32. Neil Ashton

Red Cards: Peate 44′
Yellow Cards: Simpson 40′ Kershaw 45’+2 Hajdari 87′

Llanelli Town
1. Scott Coughlan, 14. Daniel Alfie, 3. Joe Hunt, 6. Scott Tancock, 26. Lee Bevan, 7. Leon Britton (4. Anthony Finselbach 89′), 23. Joe Clark (28. Michael George 74′), 8. Jordan Davies, 5. Kurtis March (17. Chris Jones 65′), 11. James Loveridge, 9. Emile Ngoy Subs not used: 32. Joe Dyer, 20. Luke Morgan

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Loveridge 45’+2

Attendance: 307 Referee: Kevin Parry

Newtown AFC 1 Porya Ahmadi 35′
Connah’s Quay Nomads 2 Danny Harrison 64′ Michael Wilde 78′

Newtown AFC
1. Dave Jones (13. Jack Perry 75′), 19. T.Craig Williams, 6. Jay Denny, 26. Sam Barnes, 3. Callum Roberts, 18. George Hughes, 23. Alex Fletcher, 7. Neil Mitchell (11. Joe Kenton 87′), 10. Steve Leslie (9. Luke Boundford 77′), 8. Nick Rushton, 32. Porya Ahmadi Subs not used: 17. Sam Phillips, 25. Will Evans, 22. Jake Mann

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Rushton 36′ Roberts 45′ Leslie 49′ Hughes 57′ Mitchell 63′

Connah’s Quay Nomads
1. John Danby, 15. Danny Holmes, 5. George Horan, 2. John Disney, 6. Danny Harrison, 14. Adam Barton, 8. Callum Morris, 16. James Owen, 22. Michael Bakare, 9. Michael Wilde. 10. Andrew Owens (19. Jake Phillips 59′) Subs not used: 28. Jon Rushton (gk), 21. Rob Hughes, 24. Connor Harwood, 25. Dominic Elsey-McHugh

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Owen 42′
Attendance: 210 Referee: Dean John

JD WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE

1	Connah’s Quay Nomads	23	15	3	5	61	24	37	48
2	Barry Town United FC	23	15	2	6	40	33	7	47
3	The New Saints	22	14	4	4	63	12	51	46
4	Caernarfon Town	23	10	7	6	34	26	8	37
5	Newtown	23	10	6	7	39	31	8	36
6	Bala Town	22	10	4	8	43	38	5	34
7	Cardiff Metropolitan University	23	9	3	11	35	32	3	30
8	Aberystwyth Town	23	8	4	11	27	44	-17	28
9	Carmarthen Town AFC	23	7	6	10	31	42	-11	27
10	Cefn Druids	23	5	7	11	26	40	-14	22
11	Llanelli Town AFC	23	4	4	15	21	70	-49	16
12	Llandudno FC	23	2	6	15	18	46	-28	12