JD CYMRU PREMIER
TWO down, two to go. Can The New Saints make it a clean sweep of the four competitions they entered this season and remain unbeaten for the whole season?
Those are the heights to which Craig Harrison is hoping to lift his team after they secured a 16th JD Cymru Premier title to add to their win in the Nathaniel MG Cup.
Now there is a JD Welsh Cup to defend and a SPFL Trust Trophy to chase against Airdrieonians later this month.
A fourth hat-trick of the season for Brad Young was at the heart of the 4-0 home win over Cardiff Met that enabled TNS to win the title again. A 1-0 defeat for secondplaced Connah’s Quay Nomads the night before set up the title shot with six games to go for Harrison’s men.
Brought into the club on the last day of the transfer window at the start of the season, Young was supposed to be a temporary stand-in for the injured Declan McManus. But he has done more than fill the boots of the Scottish striker, who scored 31 league goals the season before
“Brad has been fantastic for us, a real breath of fresh air,” said Harrison. “He he has done a fantastic job.”
Young now has 21 league goals and two more in the cup but doesn’t want to stop there.
“I’m happy with the hat-trick and the team performance, but the season isn’t over,” said the 21-year-old.
“There are two more competitions to win and we want to end the season unbeaten.”
That is the ambition that drives the perennial Welsh champions, who will again represent their country in the Champions League next summer.
“This is what we work hard for every day, every week and all season,” added Harrison.
“We have had a fantastic lead for a while but we knew it wasn’t done yet.
“It won’t feel as good as the first one I ever had but then every one after that has been fantastic and you never get used to it.
“We have scored some great goals and played some great football, but before anything we work hard.”
Young got the party started with the first two goals as TNS raced into a 3-0 interval lead. He clinched his hat-trick with a second-half penalty. Ben Clark scored the other goal. A George Newell penalty gave Bala Town a 1-0 win over Connah’s Quay at Maes Tegid.
He struck in the 56th minute to break the deadlock and give his side back-to-back wins in the Championship Conference. It was his 17th goal of the season.
It was only the sixth league defeat of the season for the Nomads and they could take some revenge before the season ends as both are still in the hat for the semi-final draw of the JD Welsh Cup along with The New Saints and Cardiff Met.
Dan Gosset’s 37th-minute effort gave Caernarfon Town a 1-0 win over Newton. It allowed the Cofis to leapfrog Cardiff Met into fourth place.
In the Play-Off Championship, Pontypridd United reacted superbly to having a further three points deducted from them for administrative problems by picking up a 1-0 win at Penybont.
Jan Maertens struck in the 83rd minute. It meant for the second week running they climbed out of the relegation zone as they picked up their fifth win in their last seven outings.
Bottom side Colwyn Bay picked up a home point from their goalless draw against Haverfordwest County, while Aberystwyth Town had a Ben Woollam goal to thank for their 1-1 draw with Barry Town United.