WITH the Second Round of the Welsh Cup occupying the Cymru North and South this weekend, the attention is firmly on the action in the top flight of Welsh football.
This weekend’s action begins at Park Avenue and Latham Park, with Aberystwyth hosting Bala Town and Newtown welcoming Caernarfon Town.
Aberystwyth will be high on confidence after defeating Airbus UK Broughton 5-1 last week to go above the Wingmakers. Matthew Bishop’s men were without a league win in nine before their rout at The Airfield last week.
Ten of Bala’s points this season have come on the road, with only Barry, the Cefn Druids and TNS taking points off of Colin Caton’s men on the road.
Latham Park will play host to a passionate travelling Cofi Army as they arrive in Mid Wales on the back of an impressive victory over former leaders Barry Town United. Caernarfon were announced as hosts for the next Wales C fixture and a number of Canaries players could be in contention to be called up for Mark Jones’ side come March.
Caernarfon can move into the top two should results go their way. Newtown are three points off the top six but have an inferior goal difference to Cardiff Met.
There’s an important clash at the bottom of the Cymru Premier as Penybont travel to Airbus in search of just their second win of the season.
Penybont could be cut adrift by seven points if Stephen O’Shaughnessy’s men can bounce back from a heavy defeat to Aberystwyth.
The 3-1 win for Rhys Griffiths’ side over Airbus in September is their only win this season. Manager Rhys Griffiths reintroduced himself to the league as a player in last week’s 1-1 draw with Penybont. Griffiths hadn’t played in the Welsh top flight for three years before his second-half cameo.
It’s second versus first at Jenner Park as Connah’s Quay travel to South Wales to take on former leaders Barry Town United. Andy Morrison – yet to lose in South Wales as a manager – hopes to keep his side top of the pile by avoiding defeat to a wounded Barry side. Barry suffered their first league defeat of the season, as a patched-up squad fell to a 4-1 loss to Caernarfon Town at The Oval.
The Nomads maintained their unbeaten start to the league season by drawing 1-1 with Cymru Premier champions The New Saints. Cardiff City loan duo George Ratcliffe and Sion Spence were missing last week for Barry but could return after sustaining short-term injuries. Barry will be buoyed by the return of Jordan Cotterill who is eligible for selection after his ban expired.
Moving to the Rock, the Druids take on Cardiff Met, who have conceded a number of late goals in stoppage time and find themselves without a win in six fixtures.
The Druids have had an upturn in form and are on the back of three successive wins. Huw Griffiths’ men are just three points behind Cardiff Met, who have had a wobbly start to the season.
Winless Carmarthen Town face their toughest test of the season as they travel to Park Hall to face Scott Ruscoe’s TNS.
Ruscoe’s men have scored 34 goals in just 13 league fixtures and inflicted a heavy defeat on Danny Thomas’ side at Richmond Park in the previous meeting between the two sides earlier in the season.