Connah’s Quay climbed top of the JD Welsh Premier League after a shock defeat allowed them to leapfrog The New Saints.

Connah’s Quay overcame Carmarthen on Saturday to move two points clear but the Saints were unable to regain top-spot after a below-par performance against Cardiff Met.

Connah’s Quay led against Carmarthen after goalkeeper Lee Idzi’s mis-hit clearance allowed Jay Owen to give the Nomads the advantage late in the first-half. Idzi made amends saving a well-struck Andy Owens volley before Liam Thomas headed Carmarthen level. With the Nomads desperate to claim all three points, Andy Owens finally restored their lead ten minutes from time, before Ryan Wignall broke upfield in late on to seal the win.

That left The New Saints needing a win against Cardiff Met to return top but they were convincingly beaten in a surprise 4-1 defeat.

Dan Spencer opened the scoring to put the Students in the driving seat before Sam Snaith’s brace gave Cardiff Met a commanding lead. On his 50th WPL appearance, Chris Baker claimed a fourth to add to The New Saints’ humiliation before Greg Draper pulled one back on a miserable day for the defending league champions.

Barry Town maintained their good run with an assured performance against Aberystwyth to remain on the coattails of the top-two. Clayton Green’s first-half strike was enough to separate the two sides, handing Gavin Chesterfield’s side a third win on the bounce.

Llanelli were looking to avoid a fifth-straight league defeat for the visit of Newtown to Stebonheath but were again left empty handed despite Jamie Loveridge giving the Reds the lead. After Nick Ruston had levelled, Neil Mitchell’s classy volley put Newtown in front. Sam Phillips wrapped up another disappointing weekend for Llanelli, who finished with 10-men after Anthony Finselbach was dismissal.

Bala Town continue to make Maes Tegid a fortress after a 2-1 win over Llandudno extended their 100 per-cent home. Alfons Fosu-Mensah’s finish late on proved to be no more than a consolation goal for the visitors, who were trailed to goals from Stuart Jones and Henry Jones.

Danny Brookwell secured top-six Caernarfon a point at Cefn Druids after captain Neil Ashton had put the Ancients ahead. That result leaves Cefn Druids in the bottom-two.

A full report and reaction to The New Saints’ shock defeat to Cardiff Met can be found here.

WPL SCOREBOARD
Bala Town 2-1 Llandudno, Cefn Druids 1-1 Caernarfon, Llanelli 1-3 Newtown, Connah’s Quay 3-1 Carmarthen, Aberystwyth 0-1 Barry Town, Cardiff Met 4-1 The New Saints.

Bala Town 2 Stuart J Jones 37′ Henry Jones 60′
Llandudno FC 1 Alfons Fosu-Mensah 86′

Bala Town
1. Ashley Morris, 2. Andrew Burns, 3. Sean Smith, 4. Stuart Jones, 5. Stuart J Jones, 15. Rob Pearson, 8. Nathan Burke, 25. Chris Venables, 7. Steven Tames (17. Danny Gosset 90’+2′), 77. Henry Jones, 12. Evan Horwood (10. Ian Sheridan 59′) Subs not used: 9. Mike Hayes, 6. Anthony Miley, 11. Kieran Smith, 22. Josh Jones, 20. Joe Edwards

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: S.J.Jones 29′ Pearson 45’+2 Venables 85′ Henry Jones 90’+2

Llandudno FC
1. Shaun Pearson, 19. Zyaac Edwards, 2. Ieuan Hewitt, 6. Kai Edwards, 4. Mike Pearson, 8. Danny Hughes, 7. Matthew Williams (14. Alun Webb 46′), 5. Leo Smith, 9. John Owen, 21. Toby Jones (10. George Harry 68′), 18. Mark Connolly (15. Alfons Fosu-Mensah 61′) Subs not used: 16. Cai Owen, 12. Ryan Roberts, 20. Osian Jones, 17. Telor Williams

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Connolly 58′

Attendance: 265 Referee: Mark Petch

Cefn Druids 1 Neil Ashton 28′
Caernarfon Town 1 Danny Brookwell 59′

Cefn Druids
13. Joel Thompson, 3. Naim Arsan, 6. Nathan Peate, 7. Matty Owen, 8. Alec Mudimu (16. Iwan Cartwright 58′), 9. Dean Rittenberg, 10. Jordan Evans, 15. Aaron Simpson (33. Virgil Moutaud 84′), 19. Fisnik Hajdari, 22. Arkadiusz Piskorski, 32. Neil Ashton Subs not used: 5. Moussa Samassa, 21. Ilan Ap Gareth, 27. Alun Morris

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Thompson 10′ Mudimu 45′ Simpson 45′ Piskorski 45’+1

Caernarfon Town
1. Alex Ramsey, 2. Joe Williams, 3. Nathan Craig, 6. Rhys Roberts, 7. Gareth Evans (15. Ben Maher 87′), 8. Jamie Crowther, 9. Jamie Breese (20. Cai Jones 89′), 10. Darren Thomas (19. Sion Bradley 79′), 11. Danny Brookwell, 14. Noah Edwards, 17. Ryan Williams Subs not used: 16. Kevin Roberts, 23. Ross Stephens

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Edwards 16′

Attendance: 402 Referee: Dean John

Llanelli Town 1 James Loveridge 11′
Newtown AFC 3 Nick Rushton 34′ Neil Mitchell 65′ Sam Phillips 81′

Llanelli Town
25. Oliver Davies, 16. Ross Jones (28. Jordan Jones 75′), 33. Cairan Smith, 6. Scott Tancock, 23. Joe Clark, 4. Anthony Finselbach, 8. Jordan Davies, 7. Chris Jones (24. Anthony Nelson 88′), 5. Kurtis March, 11. James Loveridge, 10. Jordan Follows (22. Tristan Jenkins 81′) Subs not used: 9. Mark Jones, 19. Jamie Owen

Red Cards: Finselbach 78′
Yellow Cards: None

Newtown AFC
1. Dave Jones (13. Jack Perry 63′), 19. T.Craig Williams, 5. Kieran Mills-Evans, 4. Ben Bailey, 3. Callum Roberts, 23. Alex Fletcher, 7. Neil Mitchell, 6. Jay Denny, 11. Joe Kenton, 10. Steve Leslie (17. Sam Phillips 62′), 8. Nick Rushton (14. Ethan Jones 85′) Subs not used: 20. Tom Goodwin, 9. Luke Boundford, 25. Will Evans

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Kenton 90′

Attendance: 471 Referee: David Morgan

Aberystwyth Town 0
Barry Town United 1 Clayton Green 16′

Aberystwyth Town
12. Leigh Jenkins, 2. Wes Baynes, 3. Stefan Edwards, 4. Alan Goodall (7. Geoff Kellaway 62′), 5. Ryan Wollacott, 8. Paolo Mendes, 9. Porya Ahmadi (18. Nashawn Blake 79′), 10. Declan Walker, 14. Ryan Edwards (27. Joe Phillips 13′), 17. Matthew Jones, 24. Ashley Ruane Subs not used: 6. Jack Rimmer, 15. Lee Jenkins, 20. Harri Rowe, 25. Carwyn Morgan

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Ahmadi 28′ Jones 41′ Goodall 44′ Ruane 52′ Wollacott 84′

Barry Town United
1. Mike Lewis, 21. Macauley Southam-Hales, 3. Chris Hugh, 4. Luke Cooper, 26. Lewis Cosslett, 8. Troy Greening, 6. Robbie Patten, 29. Clayton Green (39. Thomas Fry 81′), 16. Jonathan Hood, 9. Momodou Touray (11. Drew Fahiya 90’+1), 7. Kayne McLaggon (10. Jordan Cotterill 68′) Subs not used: 15. Louis Gerrard, 2. Paul Morgan, 25. Joseph Baker (gk)

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: None

Attendance: 476 Referee: Gavin Townsend

Connah’s Quay Nomads 3 James Owen 45′ Andy Owens 80′ Ryan Wignall 90’+3
Carmarthen Town 1 Liam Thomas 55′

Connah’s Quay Nomads
28. Jon Rushton, 4. Jonny Spittle (11. Nathan Woolfe 68′), 2. John Disney, 3. Laurence Wilson, 6. Danny Harrison, 7. Ryan Wignall, 12. Declan Poole (21. Rob Hughes 46′), 16. James Owen, 8. Callum Morris, 9. Michael Wilde (22. Michael Bakare 71′), 10. Andrew Owens Subs not used: 26. Eric Green (gk), 14. Jack Kenny, 23. Joe Sullivan, 25. Dominic Elsey-McHugh

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Disney 62′

Carmarthen Town
1. Lee Idzi, 3. Jordan Knott (17. Sean Hanbury 88′), 4. Dave Vincent, 15. Lewis Baldwin, 11. Tyrrell Webbe, 14. Ceri Morgan, 16. Mael Davies, 8. Greg Walters, 18. Liam Thomas, 9. Luke Bowen, 12. Jordan Vickers (2. Luke Cummings 61′) Subs not used: 19. Jay Woodford, 5. Craig Hanford, 20. Danny Thomas

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Knott 69′ Davies 90’+1

Attendance: 143 Referee: Tom Owen

Cardiff Met University 4 Rhys Thomas 25′ Sam Snaith 36′ 53′ Chris Baker 82′
The New Saints FC 1 Greg Draper 87′

Cardiff Met University
30. Max Manson, 5. Emlyn Lewis, 3. Kyle McCarthy, 14. Joel Edwards, 2. Dylan Rees, 28. Rhydian Morgan (26. Matt Swindlehurst 28′), 6. Ben Bowler, 8. Chris Baker, 7. Eliot Evans, 24. Sam Snaith (16. Guto Williams 89′), 15. Rhys Thomas (9. Adam Roscrow 57′) Subs not used: 23. Tim Parker, 20. Matt Neale, 28. Esa Aalto (gk)

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Rh.Thomas 33′ Edwards 34′

The New Saints FC
1. Paul Harrison, 2. Simon Spender, 12. Blaine Hudson, 5. Benjamin Cabango, 3. Chris Marriott, 4. Tom Holland, 8. Ryan Brobbel (21. Kurtis Byrne 59′), 10. Daniel Redmond, 11. Adrian Cieslewicz (22. Kane Lewis 59′), 14. Jamie Mullan, 17. Dean Ebbe (9. Greg Draper 46′) Subs not used: 25. Connor Roberts (gk), 18. Josh Hmani, 19. Ben Clark, 20. Joash Nembhard

Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Cabango 41′

Attendance: 262 Referee: Rob Jenkins

1	Connah’s Quay Nomads	8	6	0	2	20	6	14	18
2	The New Saints	8	5	1	2	23	6	17	16
3	Barry Town United FC	8	5	1	2	11	11	0	16
4	Bala Town	8	4	1	3	13	12	1	13
5	Newtown	8	4	1	3	11	10	1	13
6	Caernarfon Town	8	4	1	3	7	7	0	13
7	Cardiff Metropolitan University	8	4	0	4	12	9	3	12
8	Aberystwyth Town	8	3	1	4	11	18	-7	10
9	Llandudno FC	8	2	2	4	5	9	-4	8
10	Carmarthen Town AFC	8	2	2	4	9	17	-8	8
11	Cefn Druids	8	2	1	5	11	11	0	7
12	Llanelli Town AFC	8	1	1	6	7	24	-17	4