JD CYMRU PREMIER
REIGNING champions The New Saints warmed up for their Scottish Challenge Cup clash with Dundee this week by winning 7-0 at the home of their nearest rivals in the JD Cymru Premier League.
Craig Harrison’s men dispatched the students of Cardiff Met with a devastating display to show the gulf that still exists between them and the rest of the teams in the top flight of Welsh football.
They host Dundee on Friday night in the Scottish tournament and will be hoping Adrian Cieslewicz can maintain his form after picking up a hat-trick at the Cyncoed campus – his first goals of the season. “It was a fantastic result,” said Saints boss Harrison.
“We have threatened to do that to teams before this season by creating chances, but this time we were very clinical.
“Cieslewicz took his three goals very well, but we scored all sorts of different goals with four different scorers.
“We had good attitude, good feeling and a great start.
“Adam Wilson and Danny Williams were both able to make their debuts for us and it was nice to get them both on the pitch and integrate them into the team.”
The students, sitting in second place before the start of the afternoon, were hit from the start as TNS made up for lost time having sat out last weekend’s round of matches.
It was 3-0 by the break as Ryan Brobbel, Declan McManus and Cieslewicz scored. Cieslewicz and McManus scored again at the start of the second half to make it 5-0.
Ben Clark set up Cieslewicz for his hat-trick and Ryan Astles completed the rout two minutes from time.
Fidel O’Rourke and Josef Faux scored the goals that earned Caernarfon Town a 2-1 home win over Haverfordwest County to move into second place ahead of the students.
It was a win that extended their unbeaten run at home to four games, while County’s goal came from Jack Wilson.
Penybont picked up a 3-2 win on the road against Newtown. The visitors went two goals up at Latham Park as Kai Whitmore and Nathan Wood bagged first-half goals, with Wood’s strike coming from the penalty spot.
A brace from Aaron Williams got Newtown back into the contest, but substitute Sam Snaith scored just three minutes after coming on to secure the points.
Aberystwyth Town ended a run of four straight defeats by upsetting Connah’s Quay Nomads 2-1 to earn their first home league win of the season.
They had Harry Arnison and Jack Torn to thank for their much-needed victory.
All the goals came in the second half, with Arnison breaking the deadlock in the 54th minute. Jon Disney missed a penalty for the Nomads before Paulo Mendes saved his blushes a minute later with the equaliser. But Thorn fired home the winner eight minutes from time.
In the battle of the new boys, Danny Williams emerged as the hero for Pontypridd United at USW Park as he slotted home an 84th-minute penalty to earn his side a 1-0 home win over Airbus UK Broughton. A handball from the visitors allowed Williams to step up and claim the glory.
Pontypridd dominated for long periods and could have doubled their lead in the dying moments when Eliot Richards went close to adding a second on his debut.
Jordan Knott headed just wide in the first half, while Williams and Luke Cummings both forced saves out of Airbus keeper Michael Jones.
Larnell Hughes scored his first goal for Flint Town United in the 90th minute to earn his side a point in their home clash with Bala Town.
A penalty from Chris Venables had given the Lakesiders’ the lead in the 67th minute.