Andy Morrison expects high-flying Penybont to provide another tough test this for his Connah’s Quay side, in what could be afternoon of completed milestones for the JD Cymru Premier leaders.
Connah’s Quay moved to the top of the table on Tuesday night after grinding out a hard-fought derby win against Flint Town United.
And victory this afternoon against fourth-placed Penybont would set a new club record of 10 successive victories.
Morrison however, is expecting another difficult contest. “Saturday will be another tough encounter against a very good Penybont side,” he said. “[They’ve] not surprised me in any way with their form this season and are rightly in the top-four. We will have to be at the top of our game to get the result we are looking for.”
Back-to-back wins following the re-start have come courtesy of winning goals from Michael Wilde, the Nomads’ ever-reliable centre-forward.
Wilde’s headed effort against Flint midweek was his 199th in the league, and another strike this weekend would put him in a very exclusive ‘200-club’.
Only three players have achieved the feat, one of which is opposing manager Rhys Griffiths. Griffiths is second on the all-time list of scorers in the Welsh top-flight with 271 goals, ahead of Lee Hunt (209). Marc Lloyd-Williams is the leading scorer in the league’s history with 319 career goals.
Another current JD Cymru Premier player is also on the verge of joining the ‘200-club’ – Bala Town’s Chris Venables is just 10 goals shy of the landmark.
Successive 1-0 wins have seen Penybont continue to push up the table. A thunderous strike from outside the box saw Sam Snaith snatch Penybont all three points against Barry Town midweek – a result that moved them above the Dragons and into fourth-place, with a game in-hand.
Chris Seargeant will take the reigns for the first-time as caretaker boss of The New Saints, who visit Haverfordwest County in the late afternoon televised game. Saints dropped to second in the table midweek, two points behind Connah’s Quay while Haverfordwest are looking to bounce back from a dramatic late defeat against Aberystwyth in their push for a top-six spot.
Only goal difference separates Caernarfon from a top-six place. With two draws under their belts since the re-start the Cofis visit Flint Town United.
Cardiff Met and managerless Cefn Druids continue search for their first points since the re-start. Met travel to improving Newtown whilst the Druids entertain third-placed Bala Town.
After being ‘disappointed’ by his team’s display against Penybont, Gavin Chesterfield wants his Barry Town side to re-establish their strong home record ahead of Aberystwyth Town’s visit to Jenner Park.
“There are no easy games in this league but we take our home record seriously. [Against Penybont] is only the second time we’ve lost at home this season and with bodies coming back available again, we’ll go and test ourselves again,” he said.
JD CYMRU PREMIER SATURDAY FIXTURES (2.30 unless stated)
Barry Town v Aberystwyth, Cefn Druids v Bala Town, Flint v Caernarfon, Newtown v Cardiff Met, Penybont v Connah’s Quay, Haverfordwest v The New Saints (5.15, S4C).
