Canaries beat Airbus to stay in hunt for playoffs

IN the JD Cymru Premier Play-Off Conference on Friday, secondplaced Caernarfon Town enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 home win over bottom club Airbus UK Broughton.

Thomas Marsh-Hughes put the hosts ahead in the first minute and Airbus were further hampered by a straight red card for Gareth Edwards after just 17 minutes.

Sion Bradley missed the resulting penalty but Marsh-Hughes got his second just before the half-hour mark and there was no way back for the basement boys.

Dan Gossett made it 3-0 from the rebound when his penalty was saved three minutes after the break and Marsh-Hughes completed his hat-trick just before the hour.

Unfortunately for the Canaries, Haverfordwest County remain in the driving seat in the race to claim the final Europa League play-off place after they won 2-0 at Flint Town United, putting them four points clear with three matches remaining.

Pontypridd were held 1-1 by Aberystwyth Town.

Corey Shephard and Jordan Davies got the goals early for the Bluebirds, while Harry Owen was sent off late on for the home side.

Cymru Premier champions The New Saints enjoyed a thumping 5-0 away win at nine-man Newtown, who are bottom of the Championship Conference.

Both Kieran Mills-Evans and Callum Roberts were sent off for the hosts in the second half and the runaway leaders took full advantage.

Declan McManus was the star with a hat-trick to take his league tally to 24 goals.

Substitutes Adrian Cieslewicz and Gwion Dafydd wrapped up another satisfying afternoon on the road for Craig Harrison’s men.

On Friday night, there were away wins for second-placed Connah’s Quay Nomads and Penybont in third.

The Nomads won 2-1 at Bala Town thanks to first-half strikes from Harry Franklin and George

Horan, either side of George Newell’s equaliser for the hosts.

Penybont edged a five-goal thriller at Cardiff Met, fighting back from 2-0 down to triumph 3-2 thanks to Lewis Harling’s 79thminute winner.

Lewis Rees put the home side ahead in first-half stoppage time and Harry Owen doubled their advantage in the first minute of the second half.

But Nathan Wood began the visitors’ comeback on 64 minutes and Ryan Reynolds equalised before Harling had the final say.

At the top of the JD Cymru North the title looks to be going down to the wire with both leaders Colwyn Bay and second-placed Holywell Town victorious at the weekend.

Colwyn Bay remain three points clear of the Wellmen with two games to play after a comfortable 3-0 home win over struggling Penrhyncoch. First-half strikes from Sam Hart and Lewis Sirrell put Steve Evans’s men in control before Hart wrapped up the win just after the hour mark.

Holywell kept up the pressure on Colwyn Bay by notching a 25th successive league victory at Prestatyn Town. Dan Atkins put the hosts ahead in first-half stoppage time but Daniel Andrews equalised after the break. It fell to David Forbes to win the match from the penalty spot.

Holywell will be relying on Colwyn Bay dropping points at Penrhyncoch on Good Friday and at home to Llandudno the following week as the leaders have a vastly superior goal difference.

Llandudno – who can no longer catch the top two but are guaranteed third – drew 1-1 at Cefn Druids on Friday. Marc Williams put Llandudno ahead after 25 minutes but the hosts equalised through Iwan Hardy 20 minutes from time.

Holyhead Hotspur have been relegated with three games remaining after a 4-0 defeat at fourth-placed Guilsfield. Jamie Hyne grabbed a brace of goals for the hosts, while Adam Jenkins also added to an early own goal from Holyhead’s Alex Jones.