New boys ready for clash with champs
NEWLY-PROMOTED Caernarfon Town welcome reigning JD Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints to The Oval this evening – and Cofis skipper Nathan Craig says there is still more to come from his side.
Caernarfon – last season’s Huws Gray Alliance champions – have settled down well to life back in the top flight of Welsh football with two wins from their three matches so far.
Victories over Cefn Druids and Cardiff Metropolitan University mean Sean Eardley’s side are one of four sides on six points along with TNS, Cardiff Met and Bala Town.
The quartet are three points behind early pace setters Connah’s Quay Nomads, who have won all three of their opening matches.
“I think we’ve got a few more gears to find, definitely, we all agree on that as a squad,” said Craig.
“But we’ve shown glimpses of a very good team so far, with the way we’ve started the season.
“We’ve made a few changes to the team across the three games and still performed well, which shows our strength in depth, but our lads all want to push this club as far as we possibly can.”
The only blot on Caernarfon’s copy book so far was a 2-0 defeat at Newtown, sandwiched in between two 1-0 wins.
Meanwhile, seven-time defending champions TNS will also be looking to shift through the gears as they bid for an eighth straight title.
Scott Ruscoe’s men have been in free-scoring form at Park Hall, netting 11 in their two games against Barry Town United and Carmarthen respectively – but tonight will be looking to bag their first away points of the campaign after defeat at Connah’s Quay.
The other game this evening is at Park Avenue where Aberystwyth Town host the other promoted side in Llanelli Town.
There are four games tomorrow. Andy Morrison’s Connah’s Quay will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the campaign but they won’t have it easy as they head to Jenner Park to tackle Barry – who have also taken four points from a possible nine.
Having started the season with two straight wins, Cardiff Met will be aiming to bounce back from defeat at home by Caernarfon as they travel to face a Carmarthen side still searching for their first win of the new season.
Elsewhere, Henry Jones’ injurytime winner snatched all three points for Bala in dramatic fashion against Cefn Druids last weekend and the Lakesiders will hope to carry that momentum into their trip to Newtown.
The other game tomorrow is at the Rock where Cefn Druids entertain Llandudno.