It’s as you were at the top of the JD Cymru Premier table after joint-leaders The New Saints and Connah’s Quay both maintained the pace with respective 1-0 victories over Penybont and Barry Town.
Louis Robles’ strike three-minutes into the second-half was enough to secure a third-successive victory under new Saints boss Anthony Limbrick, with the side yet to concede during that period.
In a game where chances were at premium for both teams, Ryan Brobbel threaded a pass through the Penybont defence for Robles to slot the ball into the near-post bottom corner.
The win sees Saints, who have also appointed former player Gary Brabin as their first ever sporting director, maintain their plus-21 goal differential over Connah’s Quay at the top of the table.
“It was a very, very tough game and one that was tight leading up to half-time. We just managed to have a good little move in that little period where [Brobbel] got on it and played through to [Robles] who was able to score,” said Limbrick post-match.
“We are very happy with the win and need to keep winning to maintain that momentum.”
Michael Wilde netted his 50th goal for the Nomads who overcame late pressure from Barry Town to remain level on points at the top.
After strong claims for a penalty were waved away in the opening exchanges, Connah’s Quay broke the deadlock on 22-minutes when Wilde rose highest to head home Declan Poole’s delivery.
Barry Town were denied an equaliser in the closing stages when Nomads stopper Oliver Byrne acrobatically kept out Nat Jarvis’ goalbound header and the post denied Callum Morris from doubling Connah’s Quay’s advantage in the final moments.
Bala Town closed in on the league’s third automatic European place as they came from behind to see-off Gwynedd rivals Caernarfon.
Bala move nine-points clear of fourth-placed Barry but only after Colin Caton’s side staged an impressive second-half comeback.
Caernarfon led going in at the break when Mike Hayes scored against his former side from the penalty spot in first-half added time.
On-loan starlet Jacob Bickerstaff continued to impress with his fourth goal in eight games, as Caernarfon cancelled out Chris Venable’s diving header.
A Bala corner saw Jonathan Spittle bundle the ball in from close range following from a corner, before Will Evans capitalised on a calamitous defensive mix-up between visiting goalkeeper Tyler French and Noah Edwards as the Lakesiders regained their lead.
Venables then completed his brace to take his tally to a league-leading 21 goals for the season, before Evans also added second to complete a four-goal second-half display for Colin Caton’s side.
The race at the top of the Play-Off Conference for the final play-off spot is proving to be a closer contest than it initially seemed at the split after a thumping 5-1 win allowed Newtown to narrow the gap on Haverfordwest County to just five-points.
Newtown never looked back after they struck twice in quick succession. Tyronne Ofori drilled in a low finish from the edge of the box in the 27th-minute before the Robins struck again just two-minutes later through Lifumpa Mwandwe.
An impressive first-half display from the hosts saw then add a third on the stroke of half-time as Shane Sutton scored his first since rejoining the club mid-season.
The tide showed no sign of turning in the second-half when Mwandwe grabbed his second of the afternoon to make it four goals without reply, but on a miserable afternoon for Haverfordwest, midfielder Corey Shephard struck one of the goals of the season for the Bluebirds, with an outrageous effort from the centre-circle.
How about this for a strike? @HaverfordwestFC's Corey Shephard 👏👏pic.twitter.com/ubni7JQdQr
— Matthew Burgess (@1matthewburgess) April 18, 2021
Jordan Evans sealed the win five-minutes from time to sign off an encouraging afternoon for Newtown.
Cardiff Met recorded their first win in 12 outings after goals from Elliot Evans and Matthew Chubb cancelled out Ryan Kershaw’s delightful free-kick for hosts Cefn Druids.
On Friday, Josh Amis’ second-half strike was enough for Flint Town to see off Aberystwyth Town. The Silkmen move above Aber with their third win in as many games.
Featured image courtesy of The New Saints