WONDER WALSH IS TOAST OF THE TOWN

ABERYSTWYTH Town are preparing for another ‘Great Escape’ after backing up their 1-1 draw with Haverfordwest County at the end of 2023 with 1-0 home win over Colwyn Bay to kick-start 2024.

Those four points in their last two games were enough to lift the Seasiders out of the relegation zone in the JD Cymru Premier and send Colwyn Bay tumbling into the bottom two.

The home side had to do it the hard way after seeing Mark Cadwallader shown a straight red card four minutes before the break. Things improved a minute into the second half when Liam Walsh scored the crucial goal.

Cardiff Met University had the distinction of being the last side to beat reigning champions

The New Saints last season but they paid for their proud boast as they were humiliated 8-0 at Park Hall as TNS went 15 points clear.

It rained goals at the home of the champions after the visitors lost Lewis Rees to yet another red card – the sixth of the season for the Archers. Ryan Brobbel hammered home the ensuing penalty in the 31st minute and by the break it was 4-0.

Brobbel got a second and Brad Young also got a first half Brace. Young went on to complete his hat-trick in the second half to make it 14 league goals for the season. Adrien Cieslewicz piled on the agony after the break with a fifth and Young added his third.

Just when the students thought things couldn’t get any worse, TNS manager Craig Harrison took off Brobbel and replaced him with his top striker Declan McManus. It took the Scot a mere four minutes to join the party as he made it 7-0 before Rory Holden completed the rout.

This was the game in hand Harrison’s men held over second placed Connah’s Quay Nomads and they certainly made it count. They now meet Guilsfield on Tuesday night in the semi-final of the Nathaniel MG Cup.

It was a bad ending to a bad week for Cardiff Met, who had been beaten on penalties by

Swansea U21 in the Nathaniel MG Cup semis. Their hopes of a fourth League Cup final in seven years were dashed in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday as they exited 5-4 in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw.

It continued Met’s run of not having conceded a goal in this season’s Nathaniel MG Cup but ultimately their hopes of making another final were dashed by goalkeeper Remy Mitchell, who saved from Eliot Evans and crucially Thomas Vincent’s sudden-death spot-kick in the shootout to send Swansea through.

Two first-half goals from Ben Blythe set Barry on their way to their most convincing win of the season as they beat Newtown 4-0.