Ahead of the weekend’s action in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League, Matthew Burgess of Inside The WPL gives his weekly power rankings, showing who’s hot and who’s not.
Last weekend saw an incomplete round of games with Bangor City competing in the Welsh Cup, Aberystwyth without a game and Airbus vs Bala being called off late on as the WPL pack is once again reshuffled for another week of power rankings. TNS and Rhyl both had two games to be taken in consideration. Just seven clubs have played the full quota of 18 games.
#1 THE NEW SAINTS
This week: NO CHANGE (last week 1st)
I almost spat out my tea when Carl Lamb took less than ten seconds to put Rhyl in front against TNS on Wednesday night. The Saints recovered however to claim their second win in four days, following a solid victory over Cardiff Met last weekend. 18 games, 18 wins. Wow.
#2 CONNAH’S QUAY
This week: UP ONE(last week 3rd)
A 1-0 win over Cefn Druids midweek was more convincing than the scoreline suggests as the Nomads claimed their 10th clean-sheet of the season. Considering they’re without their three best centre-halves, that’s not bad at all. All that’s lack is a bit more firepower in the final third.
#3 BALA TOWN
This week: DOWN ONE (last week 2nd)
Bala’s impressive resurgence which has seen them win each of their last five in the WPL was temporarily interrupted this week after floodlight issues at Airbus saw their game postponed shortly before kick-off. They go again at home to Llandudno this coming Saturday.
#4 CARDIFF MET
This week: NO CHANGE (last week 4th)
Some – myself included – thought that Cardiff Met might just be the team that would end TNS’s record breaking run last weekend, but despite giving a good account of themselves they returned home empty-handed. Top-six is still very much on the cards.
#5 BANGOR CITY
This week: NO CHANGE (last week 5th)
Because of their Welsh Cup commitments, the Citizens were without a WPL fixture this week. Favourable results elsewhere mean they don’t lose any ground on the teams immediately above and below them.
#6 LLANDUDNO
This week: UP ONE (last week 7th)
I’ve been critical of Llandudno at times this season but you sense the tide is turning for Alan Morgan’s men. They leapfrogged Carmarthen into sixth-place following a good 2-0 win. The arrival of Jamal Crawford has injected a bit of freshness into Llandudno’s attack – they look like they’re coming into their best spell of form of the season.
#7 CARMARTHEN TOWN
This week: DOWN ONE (last week 6th)
Tired Carmarthen Town are down to bare bones right now and took just a 12-man squad squad to their third successive match up in North Wales. They came up short losing to fellow top-six hopefuls Llandudno. Have they got enough in the tank to see them over the line?
#8 RHYL
This week: UP ONE (last week 8th)
A home defeat to Newtown at the weekend was followed up with a far more credible Rhyl performance as they competed well with TNS despite losing 2-1. Manager Niall McGuinness has inked terms on a new contract giving the club stability, they’re five points off the top-six with a game in-hand, the question is can they find the consistency to make the final push?
#9 NEWTOWN
This week: UP ONE (last week 10th)
After a few weeks of hinting of progress, Newtown appear to be turning that corner which has burdened them of late. A good 3-1 win over Rhyl sets them up nicely. Another side who might just be fancying their slim top-six hopes.
#10 CEFN DRUIDS
This week: DOWN ONE (last week 9th)
A routine win saw the Druids advance into the fourth round of the Welsh Cup last weekend and they were beaten on their return to WPL action, losing by a single goal at Connah’s Quay on Tuesday. They can’t be completely ruled out of the top-six despite sitting 10th in the table but I just don’t envisage them picking up enough points in their final five Phase 1 games.
#11 ABERYSTWYTH TOWN
This week: NO CHANGE (last week 11th)
Without a game this week, it’s important to note that Aber have played the least amount of games this season (16) with at least one game in-hand on the teams above them. They’ve shown flashes of the good, bad and ugly so far this season but I still can’t tell whether they’re a good side or poor one – if they were to win both their games in-hand they would be joint sixth in the table!
#12 AIRBUS UK
This week: NO CHANGE (last week 12th)
Airbus were spared of what seemed to be an inevitable defeat to Bala last weekend following a late postponement. In truth, it’s difficult to see positives for the faltering Wingmakers right now.
This article first appeared at Inside The Welsh Premier League, a Welsh football blog.