The JD Cymru Premier title race sparked back into life for the start of Phase 2 as The New Saints wiped out Connah’s Quay’s three-point lead at the top of the table.
Newly appointed head coach Anthony Limbrick enjoyed a perfect start as The New Saints defeated Bala Town to climb above title rivals Connah’s Quay on goal difference.
Defending champions Connah’s Quay slipped from top-spot after they suffered a shock defeat to Penybont.
Ryan Brobbel’s sixth-minute strike for The New Saints proved to be the only goal of the game at Maes Tegid as Saints edged passed third-place Bala.
Brobbel remained composed in a crowded goalmouth to steer in Jon Routledge’s rebounded effort.
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The New Saints threatened to add to their lead but home goalkeeper Alex Ramsay was forced into making three crucial saves to keep Limbrick’s side at bay.
And leading Cymru Premier goalscorer Chris Venables might feel he should’ve done better, when he snatched at a rare Bala sight at goal, steering his shot wide across the face of the goal.
For Limbrick, the match represents a good starting point with title race heading into the final stages of the season.
“It wasn’t the best performance from us, with the quality that we’ve got and weren’t able to show as much as we would’ve liked, but considering it’s the first game of the split, to get the three points is very pleasing and a clean sheet too,” he said.
“It’s going to be a busy period – Saturday, Tuesday games pretty much right through until the end of May, but to start of with a win in the split is good and we’re pleased with it.”
Penybont cast a dent in Connah’s Quay title defence after handing the Nomads their first defeat at the Deeside Stadium since March 2019.
Penybont captain Kane Owen gave the visitors a surprise lead from the penalty spot after Ben Ahmum was brought down by defender Danny Holmes midway through the first-half.
After being denied by goalkeeper Ashley Morris, veteran striker Michael Wilde then struck the post from close range as the Nomads became frustrated in their attempts to restore parity, before Owen was denied a second goal for Penybont when his free-kick clipped the crossbar.
With 11 minutes remaining, Kostya Georgievsky made sure of the result for Rhys Griffiths’ side as the winger finished with the outside of his boot after the Nomads uncharacteristically failed to defend a throw-in.
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Fourth-placed Barry Town moved to within three-points of an automatic European spot after Curtis Hutson late strike lifted them to a 1-0 over Caernarfon at The Oval. https://twitter.com/CymruLeagues/status/1380932350549356546
Cardiff Met’s miserable run of form continued after they were handed a 2-0 defeat by Flint Town United.
Goals from Connor Harwood and Callum Bratley either side of half-time lift the Silkman out of the bottom two and leave Cardiff Met winless in their last 10 outings, having taken just two points during that time.
Bottom side Cefn Druids claimed a shock win over Haverfordwest County thanks to Charley Edge’s added time winner.
On-loan Cardiff City striker Danny Williams fired County level after Niall Flint had given the Ancients an early advantage.
Another late winner proved decisive in Friday night’s mid-Wales derby as Newtown returned to winning ways against Aberystwyth Town.
Marc Williams put Aber in front but the Robins rallied late on with goals from Tyrone Ofori and Jordan Evans ending a run of three straight defeats.
Bala Town 0
The New Saints FC 1 Ryan Brobbel 6′
Bala Town: 1 Alex Ramsay, 3 Sean Smith, 5 Anthony Stephens, 6 Jonathan Spittle, 8 Will Evans (10 Henry Jones 70′), 14 Steven Leslie (12 Liam Davies 79′) , 15 Antony Kay, 20 Lassana Mendes (11 Kieran Smith 63′), 21 Jack Mackreth (9 Raul Correia 63′), 23 Ryan Pryce (4 Nathan Peate 79′), 25 Chris Venables
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Kay 9′ Evans 43′ Jones 85′
The New Saints FC: 1 Paul Harrison, 2 Simon Spender, 3 Chris Marriott, 6 Jon Routledge, 8 Ryan Brobbel (14 Jamie Mullan 74′), 10 Daniel Redmond, 11 Adrian Cieslewicz, 12 Blaine Hudson, 17 Ryan Astles, 19 Ben Clark (21 Leo Smith 81′), 20 Adam Roscrow(9 Greg Draper 82′)
Subs not used: 13 Robbie Williams (gk), 4 Keston Davies, 44 Tom Holland, 47 Beau Cornish
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Cieslewicz 12′ Spender 86′
Attendance: BCD Referee: Bryn Markham-Jones
Caernarfon Town 0
Barry Town United 1 Curtis Hutson 90’+2
Caernarfon Town: 1 Joshua Tibbetts, 5 Gareth Edwards (4 Gruffydd John 46′), 7 Sion Bradley (12 Sam Jones 89′), 8 Paulo Mendes, 9 Michael Hayes, 10 Darren Thomas (35 Jacob Bickerstaff 74′), 14 Noah Edwards, 17 Ryan Williams, 19 Telor Williams, 29 Jack Kenny (20 Cai Jones 74′), 36 Max Cleworth
Subs not used: 13 Tyler French (gk), 27 Cian Evans, 34 Nathan Craig
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Cleworth 5′ Kenny 27′ Thomas 54′ N.Edwards 61′ C.Jones 82′
Barry Town United: 1 Michael Lewis, 3 Chris Hugh, 4 Luke Cooper, 6 Robbie Patten (11 David Cotterill 46′), 7 Kayne McLaggon, 9 Nat Jarvis (14 Curtis Hutson 74′), 10 Jordan Cotterill, 12 Luke Cummings, 16 Curtis McDonald, 29 Clayton Green, 33 Evan Press
Subs not used: 19 Lee Idzi (gk), 24 Kyle Patten, 32 Jamie Bird
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: McDonald 53′ McLaggon 77′
Attendance: BCD Referee: Lee Evans
Connah’s Quay Nomads 0
Penybont FC 2 Kane Owen 21′(p) Kostya Georgievsky 79′
Connah’s Quay Nomads: 13 Oliver Byrne, 2 John Disney (22 Daniel Davies 69′), 5 George Horan, 6 Daniel Harrison (18 Douglas Tharme 63′), 8 Callum Morris (11 Neil Danns 69′), 9 Michael Wilde, 15 Daniel Holmes, 17 Kris Owens, 19 Craig Curran (10 Jamie Insall 54′), 21 Aron Williams, 23 Aeron Edwards
Subs not used: 58 Cameron Darling (gk), 12 Declan Poole, 55 Sam Rickett
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Holmes 21′ Owens 67′
Penybont FC: 33 Ashley Morris, 3 Kane Owen, 4 Ashley Evans, 5 Daniel Jefferies, 6 Mael Davies, 8 Lewis Harling, 9 Ben Ahmun (7 Kostya Georgievsky 69′), 14 Samuel Snaith (12 Oliver Dalton 86′), 16 Billy Borge, 20 Matthew Harris, 34 Ismail Yakubu (10 Nathan Wood 26′)
Subs not used: 40 Sam Goodwin (gk), 19 Lewis Clutton, 21 Mason Jones-Thomas, 22 Connor Davies
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: None
Attendance: BCD Referee: Dean John
PLAY-OFF CONFERENCE
Cefn Druids 2 Niall Flint 10′ Chatrley Edge 90’+2
Haverfordwest County 1 Daniel Williams 76′
Cefn Druids: 1 Michael Jones, 3 Naim Arsan, 5 Phillip Mooney, 6 Aaron Simpson, 7 Ethan Cartwright (29 Jacob Wise 90’+1), 10 Alex Darlington (8 Harry Brazel 65′), 14 Sam Phillips (39 Charley Edge 77′), 15 Niall Flint, 16 Iwan Cartwright, 22 Kieran Smith, 33 Stefan Edwards
Subs not used: 31 Ben Edwards (gk), 20 Jonathon Taylor, 24 Harry Fuller, 60 Bradley Knight
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Arsan 60′ Flint 77′
Haverfordwest County: 13 Wojciech Gajda, 5 Alaric Jones, 6 Scott Tancock, 7 Ricky Watts, 8 Corey Shephard, 9 Ben Fawcett, 11 Cameron Keetch (2 Daniel Summerfield 66′), 14 Kurtis Rees (19 Daniel Williams 56′), 15 Elliot Scotcher, 16 Kieran Lewis, 22 Jazz Richards (10 Marcus Griffiths 66′)
Subs not used: 20 Joshua Le-Grice (gk), 3 Trystan Jones, 4 Sean Pemberton
Red Cards:
Yellow Cards: Shephard 39′ Watts 51′ Summerfield 90’+4
Attendance: BCD Referee: John Andrew Jones
Flint Town United 2 Connor Harwood 39′ Callum Bratley 73′
Cardiff Met University 0
Flint Town United: 1 Jon Rushton, 2 Sam Hart, 3 Edmond Clarke (10 Mark Cadwallader 65′), 6 Kai Edwards, 9 Joshua Amis, 11 Alex Jones, 14 Callum Bratley, 19 Daniel Roberts (5 Ben Nash 8′), 20 Conor Harwood (18 Jordan Buckley 86′), 24 Ben Maher, 27 Tom Kemp
Subs not used: 13 Ryan Woods (gk), 15 Ross Weaver, 29 Jake Hampson, 22 Ben Lockley
Red Cards: Jones 78′
Yellow Cards: Roberts 4′ Jones 27′ & 78′ Kemp 27′ Harwood 29′ Rushton 36′ Edwards 50′ Amis 68′ Buckley 90’+1
Cardiff Met University: 25 Alex Lang, 2 Dylan Rees, 3 Kyle McCarthy, 4 Bradley Woolridge, 5 Emlyn Lewis, 7 Eliot Evans, 8 Chris Baker, 10 Charles Corsby, 11 Harry Owen, 15 Joseph Evans (12 Oliver Hulbert 69′), 32 Lewis Rees (20 Matthew Chubb 84′)
Subs not used: 1 William Fuller (gk), 19 Liam Warman, 26 Craig Davies, 29 Mathew Jones
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Lewis 37′ Owen 49′
Attendance: BCD Referee: Nick Pratt
Aberystwyth Town 1 Marc Williams 41′
Newtown AFC 2 Tyrone Ofori 74′ Jordan Evans 90’+2
Aberystwyth Town: 13 Alex Pennock, 2 Louis Bradford, 4 Lee Jenkins, 6 Harry Franklin, 7 Mathew Jones, 9 John Owen (17 Gwion Owen 88′), 10 Marc Williams, 15 Jonathan Evans, 20 Owain Jones (23 Dan Cockerline 75′), 27 Jack Thorn, 32 Jack Rimmer
Subs not used: 11 Rhys Davies, 18 Richard Ricketts, 21 Joseph Saunders, 28 Jamie Reed, 31 Geoff Kellaway
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Franklin 24′
Newtown AFC: 1 Dave Jones, 4 Sean McAllister (24 George Hughes 85′), 5 Kieran Mills-Evans, 8 Nick Rushton, 11 James Davies (9 Jamie Breese 70′), 19 Craig Williams, 22 Tyrone Ofori, 23 Ryan Edwards (10 Jordan Evans 75′), 26 Shane Sutton, 27 Alex Fletcher, 33 Callum Roberts
Subs not used: 13 Kham Steventon (gk), 2 Jake Phillips, 6 James O’Neill, 16 Dylan Downs
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Fletcher 44′ Ryan Edwards 45’+2
Attendance: 0 Referee: David Morgan
Featured image courtesy of Brian James/TNS FC