TNS extend huge Prem lead with win over Quay as top-6 race hots up
THEY say revenge is a dish best served cold, and as the temperatures plummeted across Wales The New Saints got their own back on fierce rivals Connah’s Quay Nomads with a 3-1 home win.
TNS boss Anthony Limbrick hadn’t forgotten the last time the two teams played at Park Hall last year when the Nomads won 4-1 on their way to retaining the JD Cymru Premier title.
With Scottish hot-shot Declan Mcmanus taking his league tally to 18 with two more goals, it meant Limbrick’s side were able to move 14 points clear at the top thanks to second-placed Newtown being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Haverfordwest County.
“It was a really good win, even though we were far from our best. After a five-week break the most important thing was to get the three points,” admitted Limbrick.
“We respected their run of form, and the fact they don’t concede many goals, so to score three was pleasing.
“I thought we should have been three goals up at half-time. We had what I thought was a perfectly good goal disallowed.
“It would have been nice to keep a clean sheet, but it was a penalty and that made it tighter than it should have been.”
Caernarfon Town’s 3-1 win at bottom side Cefn Druids made it an even worse weekend for Nomads boss Craig Harrison as they drew level on points with the champions of the last two seasons.
The Nomads face a fight to finish in the top six and have four games left to secure their place before the league splits in two.
Dion Donohue gave Caernarfon the lead just before the break and Noah Edwards scored a second for the visitors a minute into the second half. Bobby Beaumont-broadhead made it 3-0 just before the hour mark.
Phil Mooney grabbed a consolation goal for the Druids, but they still slumped to their 16th defeat of the season.
Ben Ahmun scored a 21-minute hat-trick as Penybont beat Aberystwyth Town 4-0 at home.
The visitors saw Alex Darlington sent off on the hour mark and Nathan Wood added a fourth goal before the end.
While James Waite was on the bench for Newport County following his move to the Football League, Penybont boss Rhys Griffiths was able to parade new signing, former Wales international Shaun Macdonald.
Mark Cadwallader got the vital strike for Flint Town United as he scored four minutes into the second half at Jenner Park to give his side a 1-0 win over Barry Town United. That enabled them to move to within a point of Newtown in second.
the JD Cymru North, Llangefni went down to a disappointing 1-2 home defeat to fellow strugglers Llanrhaeadr, kept off the bottom spot only by further points deductions for Bangor City’s failure to fulfil fixtures. Ruthin Town boss Phil Hudson steered his side to maximum points in their three JD Cymru North fixtures in December to win the manager of the month award and is in line for a second by masterminding a 2-1 home triumph over leaders Airbus UK Broughton.
It was the first time Airbus had tasted defeat in 15 games dating back to their 4-1 home reverse against Bangor City on July 31. Will Owen gave the home side an early lead with a 15th-minute strike, but Jake Eyre scored just before the break to level the scores. Airbus lost Gareth Edwards to a red card two minutes into the second half and Jamie Cumming converted the resulting penalty to make it 2-1.
The only good news for the Wingmakers was that neither secondplaced Llandudno nor third-placed Guilsfield could take full advantage of their defeat.
Llandudno were beaten 2-0 at home by Holywell Town as Dan Sullivan and Dan Andrews struck. Guilsfield drew 0-0 at home against Gresford Athletic.
James Kirby scored twice as Colwyn Bay beat Llanidloes Town 6-1, while a 92nd-minute goal from Ben Lockley earned Conwy Borough a 2-1 home win over Prestatyn Town.