Cymru Premier veteran striker Mike Hayes fired Caernarfon Town into the Play-Off Final as the Gwynedd side proved too strong for Barry Town. Caernarfon are now just 90 minutes away from qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history and will face the winners of Penybont and Newtown who face each other at […]

Contracts and livelihoods, as well as a trip to Wembley, will be on the line for the Newport County players when they line-up for the second leg of their League Two play-off semi-final at Forest Green Rovers tonight. With all bar a handful of the squad out of contract at the end of this month, the Exiles manager Michael Flynn will instruct his players to go out and play for their lives at The New Lawn. “They are playing for their futures. There are players in our team who will comfortably get another club, but what level that is at is down to them,” said Flynn.

His time at Swansea has yielded more than 300 appearances over 10 consecutive seasons, but Wayne Routledge looks set to be cruelly denied the send-off he merits. The 36-year-old was stretchered off in the second half of last night’s 1-1 play-off draw with Barnsley, a result that ultimately sealed a final date with Brentford at Wembley next Saturday, having seemingly landed awkwardly on his knee. It’s an occasion Routledge is now almost certain to miss out on, and given he is out of contract in the summer, the scenes afterwards which saw him applauding the returning fans at the Liberty Stadium may inadvertently turn out to be his farewell to them.

By Fraser Watson Swansea City manager Steve Cooper insisted, “3,000 felt like 35,000” as he praised the impact of the supporters who returned to the Liberty Stadium to see the hosts reach the Championship play-off final. Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Matt Grimes spectacularly doubled that advantage before the break but then Cauley Woodrow’s […]

Steve Cooper will hope to guide Swansea City to Wembley tonight with two Premier League clubs reportedly keen to consider him as their next head coach. West Bromwich Albion, whose relegation has been followed by the confirmation that Sam Allardyce is stepping down, are now being linked with a move for Cooper. That follows the interest Crystal Palace are understood to hold in taking Cooper to Selhurst Park as successor to Roy Hodgson.

All four clubs entering this weekend’s JD Cymru Premier Play-Offs will be quietly fancying their chances of European qualification as the Welsh football season draws to a close. South Wales clubs Penybont and Barry Town have secured home advantage by virtue of their league placing as they host Caernarfon Town and Newtown respectively, but there […]

Andre Ayew says winning promotion to the Premier League at Swansea City would match his Champions League and World Cup exploits. Ayew was part of the Swansea side relegated from the top flight in 2018 and spent a year on loan at Turkish club Fenerbahce before returning to south Wales and becoming the talisman under Steve Cooper. He has scored 17 goals as the club have reached the Sky Bet Championship play-offs for the second successive season, with Cooper’s side holding a slender 1-0 semi-final advantage over Barnsley going into Saturday’s home leg.

Swansea City will welcome supporters back to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday evening with a reminder from Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling that fans must never again be taken for granted. After 14 months away, the club’s followers will be back in the ground – in limited numbers of 3,000 – for their home second leg Championship play-off tie against Barnsley. It will be the first time fans in Wales have attended a match of a club in the top two divisions, following the 900 supporters who were at Newport County’s League Two play-off tie against Forest Green Rovers on Monday night.

Steve Cooper has insisted he will not be distracted by links with Crystal Palace as he attempts to guide Swansea City to a Wembley play-off final. The Swansea head coach has been heavily tipped to take over at Palace this summer following conformation that Roy Hodgson in standing down this weekend after the Premier League club’s final match of the season. Some bookmakers have made Cooper favourite to replace Hodgson, but Frank Lampard, Eddie Howe and Valerian Ismael – boss of Swansea’s play-off semi-final opponents, Barnsley – have also been been tipped to move in at Selhurst Park.

James Collins has vowed to deliver hard work and goals after the Republic of Ireland striker linked up with his former international manager Mick McCarthy at Cardiff City for next season. The 30-year-old forward has made the switch from fellow Championship side Luton Town on a free transfer and has signed a two-year deal with the Bluebirds. It’s a move that some Cardiff fans will view at face value as the acquiring of a back-up to main striker Kieffer Moore – but others will consider with alarm as the prelude to the sale of the Wales striker later this summer.

Andre Ayew has now played 139 matches for Swansea City and scored 47 goals, the latest being a vital one that tipped the play-off semi-final against Barnsley in his club’s favour. His talent does not come cheap, but it’s as much about his influence and resourcefulness that impresses Fraser Watson. With 39 minutes on the clock, Kyle Naughton’s threaded pass found Andre Ayew on the right edge of the penalty area. From there, Swansea fans knew what was coming. Barnsley defenders Mads Andersen and Michal Helik knew it, too.

Michael Flynn admitted there was anger and frustration coursing through his veins – as well as a good deal of pride – after Newport County took control of their promotion play-off semi-final. Lewis Collins won the battle of the brothers as a decisive and determined County put themselves into a commanding position with a 2-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers in the first leg of their League Two play-off tie. Collins made a composed finish to put Newport 2-0 ahead in the second-half, just seconds after elder brother Aaron had missed a major opportunity to equalise for Forest Green.

Padraig Amond always wants to score whenever he steps onto a football pitch, but his lust for goals will carry a special intensity tonight. Not only is the Newport County striker aiming to put his team on the road to Wembley in the first leg of their League Two play-off semi-final at home to Forest Green Rovers, but he will be performing in front of his son for the first time. County will welcome back 900 fans to Rodney Parade for the first time this evening but, Amond will only be thinking about one of them.

Steve Cooper praised the character of his Swansea City team after they earned a gutsy 1-0 lead at the halfway stage of their Championship play-off semi-final against Barnsley. A classic Andre Ayew goal – curled into the far corner with skill and precision just before half-time – has given the Swans a vital advantage for the home leg on Saturday night. If Ayew provided the individual class then he was part of a collective effort hallmarked with courage and resilience that ran right through the side.

Sophie Ingle’s dream of joining Fess Fishlock and Jayne Ludlow in becoming a European champion ended due to naivety, according to her Chelsea manager Emma Hayes. Wales captain Ingle was bidding to follow Fishlock and Ludlow to become the third Welsh woman to lift a Champions League trophy, but her bid was emphatically denied by Barcelona who won the final, 4-0 on Sunday night. The showpiece final in Gothenburg turned into a nightmare for Chelsea who conceded four goals in the opening 36 minutes.

Matt Grimes has admitted Barnsley’s unconventional football is capable of posing problems for Swansea City in tonight’s first leg of the Championship play-offs. The Swans skipper has acknowledged Barnsley’s “unique” playing style presents a difficult challenge. Barnsley finished one point above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone last season, but the appointment of Valerien Ismael in October and the introduction of high-energy pressing tactics and a direct style transformed their fortunes.

Conor Hourihane believes Swansea City can reach Wembley if they keep a collective cool head when the play-off temperatures start to rise. There may be an unseasonal chill for mid-May at present but when the Swans take the field at Oakwell on Monday night to face Barnsley, then the thermometer on the field will start to head upwards with so much at stake. Republic of Ireland midfielder Hourihane – who uses his own psychologist to make sure he remains tranquil in stormy waters – will retrace familiar footsteps in the Championship play-offs first leg.

Steve Cooper has urged his players to use the bitter taste of last year’s play-off failure as the fuel to carry them to Wembley. The Swans head coach has soothed any fears over the fitness of talisman Andre Ayew before Monday’s first leg play-off semi-final at Barnsley, although an injury in training to Brandon Cooper will rule the youngster out for a couple of months. It was only 10 months ago that Ayew scored the only goal of the game to deliver a 1-0 victory in the first leg of last season’s play-offs against Brentford.

Connah’s Quay successfully retained the Cymru Premier title after they pipped The New Saints to the championship on the final day of the season. Connah’s Quay got the win they required to secure the title after George Horan and Aeron Edwards scored either side of half-time against Penybont. The New Saints, who required both a […]

Swansea City have been warned that play-off opponents Barnsley are feeling inspired by the influence of manager Valerien Ismael. The Swans travel to Oakwell on Monday for the first leg of their Championship play-off tie, where they will face the surprise package of the season. Barnsley were scrapping to avoid relegation last season, but they have been transformed and their striker Cauley Woodrow has attributed the club’s remarkable run to the brink of the Premier League almost entirely to the manager.