Barry hit for six... and it doesn’t get any easier
BARRY Town’s run of fine form came to an abrupt end in midweek when visitors TNS turned on the style to register an emphatic 6-0 win.
Ryan Brobbel (4), former Cardiff Met star Adam Roscrow and Ryan Astles were the scorers for the perennial JD Cymru Premier League champions.
The top-six run of fixtures mean the competition doesn’t get any easier as Barry travel to current champions Connah’s Quay Nomads tomorrow, and they were also in goalscoring form in midweek as they cruised to a 6-1 away win at Caernarfon Town.
Gavin Chesterfield and the likes of Rhys Griffiths at Penybont face a difficult period of 10 fixtures in five weeks in the Championship Conference (top six), especially in midweek when they are playing the likes of TNS, who are full-time professionals.
By contrast, Barry and Penybont’s squads are made up 100% of semiprofessional players, who have to combine daytime jobs with training and travelling.
Connah’s Quay are 50/50 in terms of professional and semi-professional players and did a brilliant job in edging the title away from TNS last season and they are once again in a title duel with eight games left in the season.
They are currently both on 60 points, with Bala in third place 15 points adrift.
Chesterfield admits Barry’s last eight games will be tough, but is still upbeat about the rewards the league offers if you succeed in your aims.
“We played in Europe last season and our aim is to play there again which is why you have to be totally committed as a player or manager when representing Barry Town,” said Chesterfield.
“Connah’s Quay is a tough place to go, but we will be looking for an away win to boost our chances of finishing as high up the table as possible”.
Rhys Griffiths’ Penybont have had a topsy-turvy start to their final 10 games.
Last Saturday, goals from Kane Owen and Kosta Georgevsky saw Penybont take Connah’s Quay’s unbeaten home record of two seasons, as they recorded a fantastic 2-0 away win in Deeside.
On Tuesday evening, it was different for Penybont, who were at their SDM Glass Stadium where they hosted Bala Town.
The Lakesiders from North Wales recorded a smart 3-2 away win against Penybont in a very entertaining game which could have gone either way.
Georgevsky and Lewis Clutton were on target for the home team, but a brace from Anthony Kay and a 25-yard free kick from Steve Leslie gave Bala a massive away victory at this point in the season.
Griffiths will ask his squad to perform miracles once again tomorrow as Penybont travel to Oswestry to play an in-form TNS at Park Hall in Sgorio’s live game on S4C (5.15 pm kick-off).
Any points brought back by Griffiths and his team would be a real bonus for the Bridgend club.
Cardiff Met picked up a point after an entertaining 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening when they hosted Newtown at their Cyncoed stadium.
Christian Edwards’ team threw off their bad form of late and were unlucky only to have picked up just a point.
Chris Baker and Liam Warmen were on target for the Archers and Warmen was denied in the last minute by Newtown goalkeeper Dave Jones who kept the score at 2-2.
The point keeps the Met in the bottom two, but the performance gives Edwards encouraging signs that his students can climb the league before the end of the season.
The Met play Cefn Druids tomorrow at their Rock Stadium in North Wales
and it looks a must-win for the Cyncoed team as a defeat could put them in bottom place in the table.
Emlyn Lewis, the Met’s centre-half and influential defender will return from suspension and his inclusion could make a difference in such a vital game, which is definitely a six-pointer for both the teams involved.