DEADLY DEC HAS THE LAST WORD!

IF Brad Young doesn’t get you, the Declan McManus will! That’s the way with newly crowned JD Cymru Premier champions The New Saints.

As if to underline their dominance in the top tier of Welsh domestic football this season, Craig Harrison’s side fired home five gaols against their nearest rivals Connah’s Quay Nomads in a 5-1 away win.

All of the damage was done in the first-half, as goals from Josh Daniels, Ben Clark, Danny Davies and Jordan Williams sent the Saints into the break with a commanding lead. Then McManus came off the bench with ten minutes to go to grab his tenth domestic goal of an injury-ravaged campaign.

In his absence, Young has became the chief executioner with 24 goals in all competition. This was the first game in his last five in which he failed to score, although he did pick up an assist.

Adam Davies notched his 15th goal of the season to salvage a point for Caernarfon Town at Bala, levelling things up early in the second half at Maes Tegid.

The Lakesiders took the lead five minutes before the break thanks to a goal from George Newell.

Newell has been in a rich vein of form in Phase 2, scoring in three successive league games as well as notching two in the JD Welsh Cup quarter final win over Flint Mountain. He now has 17 goals in all competitions this season.

The point for Bala allowed them to cut the gap on the second placed Nomads to nine points with five games to go. One of those is against the Nomads on 12 April.

Penybont closed the gap at the top of the Play-Off Championship to a single point as they went to table-topping Haverfordwest County and came up with a 1-0 win.

That allowed Rhys Griffiths’ side to stay in the hunt for a playoff place for a shot at European football in the summer. Had they not been deducted six points they would have been well clear.

The 19-year-old Lewys Ware came up with the vital goal, only his second of the season, in the ninth minute and that was enough to settle matters.

You have to go back to Boxing Day for Haverfordwest’s last league win, over Barry Town United, and in five games since the split they have only picked up three points from three draws.

Colwyn Bay picked up a point at the death at Barry Town United thanks to a goal from Udo Akpan in the seventh minute of added time at Jenner Park. Lee Lucas gave the home side the lead just past the hour mark, but the Linnetts had to settle for a third successive draw in the end.