The New Saints have been crowned Dafabet Welsh Premier League champions for a sixth straight season after recording a comfortable 4-0 win over Bangor City.
The club secured their 11th league title in a season which they led from the opening weekend, remarkably setting a World Record in the process.
Worryingly for the rest of the WPL, there is no end in sight to Craig Harrison’s side’s dominance in the national league and the challenge remains for TNS to finally carry their domestic form into European competition.
In a ruthless display at Park Hall, The New Saints made light work of Bangor City after Adrian Cieslewicz had put them ahead shortly before half-time.
An injury-ravaged Bangor were unable to find the same resolve which they had shown the previous weekend when they had forced TNS into extra-time in a pulsating Welsh Cup tie.
Tricky winger Jamie Mullan scored either side of Steven Saunders’ glancing header and believes the squad’s hard work has yet again paid off.
“The lads have been brilliant all season and we got our just rewards tonight. When you know you’re just minutes away from being champions and the whistle goes it’s a bit of a relief.
“We’ve worked hard all season, we’ve been in since May for Europe so the lads have been for a long time and have worked hard, so they’ve certainly deserved it,” he told TNS TV.
The New Saints’ closest challengers Bala Town continue to look over their shoulder in the race for the remaining automatic European qualification spot after they were denied the chance to move nine points clear of third-placed Connah’s Quay.
Ryan Wade had looked to have given Bala a big vital three points over their rivals in their push to secure continental football, but a deflected shot from Ryan Wignall forced the Lakesiders to share the points.
Newtown are the form team in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League right now after picking up their fourth win in a row at the expense of Airbus UK.
The Wingmakers looked destined for relegation as the league’s basement side but took a shock lead at Latham Park when Tony Gray scored midway through the opening half. Their lead proved to be short-lived however as the Robins rallied back to with goals from Jason Oswell, Alex Fletcher (2) and Kieran Mills-Evans to climb into seventh in the table on goal difference ahead of Llandudno.
Llandudno were held to a goalless draw with a Cefn Druids side, who look both play-off hopefuls and relegations candidates in equal measure.
Druids, ninth, sit just two points above the relegation zone along with Aberystwyth Town, who avoided slipping into the bottom-two following a 2-2 draw at Rhyl.
Just four minutes in, Josh Davies capitalised on Phil Baker’s poor clearance to score his first goal for relegation threatened Rhyl before Aberystwyth’s Mark Jones restored parity from the penalty spot.
Poor defending then allowed Geoff Kellaway to put Aberystwyth in front in a frantic opening 26 minutes. Toby Jones then salvaged Rhyl a vital point with a well-struck free-kick late on.
Carmarthen remain fifth ahead of Cardiff Met after the two sides played out a 2-2 draw at the Cyncoed Campus.
Chris Baker levelled for the Students early in the second-half after Carmarthen skipper Lee Surman had put his side ahead. Liam Thomas restored then restored Carmarthen’s advantage but a desperate goalmouth scramble at the death saw Met defender Emlyn Lewis force the ball home.
Dafabet Welsh Premier League:
Championship Conference: Bala Town 1-1 gap Connah’s Quay, Cardiff Met 2-2 Carmarthen Town, The New Saints 4-0 Bangor City.
Play-Off Conference: Newtown 4-1 Airbus UK, Llandudno 0-0 Cefn Druids, Rhyl 2-2 Aberystwyth Town.
