FC Trecenydd are the new leaders of Division One following a 3-2 win at fellow promotion chasers Hopkinstown. Shaun Newton scored a hat-trick for the Caerphilly-based side at Western Field. Hopkinstown and Cilfynydd could still climb above Trecenydd with wins from their game in hand; it is very tight at the top as we enter the final stages.
For Pontypridd, promotion remains a mathematical possibility but Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Caerphilly Argyle means in all likelihood next season will be spent in Division One. The draw was also Argyle’s first point since their formation last summer. Congratulations to them.
In the other Division One encounter, Treforest 2nds beat Aber Valley 2nds 4-1 at the White Tips Stadium. Treforest could still achieve a top half finish with a good finish to the season.
There is also a new leader in the Premier Division. Rhydyfelin’s 2-1 victory over Cascade at the Dog Track – a fifth consecutive league win for Rhyd – took them into top spot. Their lofty position is due largely to having played more games than those below and Ynysybwl’s five games in hand suggest this probably isn’t going to be a late surge for the title by Rhydyfelin.
Greyhound Cup finalists Church Village secured a vital win in their bid to retain Premier Division status, 2-1 away to Cwrt Rawlin. Pyramid permutations mean it isn’t yet clear how many sides will be relegated from the Premier Division (it could depend on outcomes from further up the pyramid cascading down, as well as promotion to the SWAL for the TERVL champions) but the grab for points remains intense for all but a few sides.
Talbot Green’s 3-1 home win over Tir-Y-Berth means they should be okay with 24 points, but there will be anxiety at Tir-Y-Berth. The Rhymney Valley side have played more games than those below and their advantage is very slender. With just two games left to play, points are now imperative at the Tir-Y-Berth Welfare Ground.
The challenge doesn’t get any more daunting for Tir-Y-Berth than a visit to title favourites Ynysybwl on Saturday for their penultimate league match. Church Village and Cascade meet at Upper Boat in another clash with significant repercussions at the bottom. Llanbradach, with a fixture backlog to get through and in need of points themselves, are home to Cwrt Rawlin.
In Division One, Pontypridd travel to Caerphilly Athletic 2nds. A win for the home side will return them to the top of the table. Should Athletic fail, Cilfynydd could go top with a win at struggling Nelson Cavaliers 2nds. Hopkinstown can keep their promotion bid alive with a win at home to Llantwit Fardre 2nds.
Having secured their first ever point, Caerphilly Argyle will no doubt target their first win. They make the short journey along the B4263 to Abertridwr Park where they’re scheduled to face Aber Valley 2nds.
