Barry Town survived a late scare at Jenner Park from Aberystwyth Town to steal a 2-1 win as they look to secure that 7^th playoff spot.

Barry made a commanding start, progressing effectively down both flanks. Aberystwyth struggled to gain a foothold, with the Town’s high press keeping the visitors pinned back.

It was the home side who made the early breakthrough on 7 minutes, deservedly taking the lead after a goal line scramble for the visitors left the ball on a plate for Ieuan Owen to smash home into an open goal. Owen’s 6^th of the season was almost cancelled out with Aberystwyth’s first clear cut chance of the game coming 10 minutes later when a long ball over the top found front man Abdi Sharif. He left the encounter with a yellow card instead of a goal however, as his attempt to round Liam Armstrong in the Barry goal was deemed to be simulation by referee Benjamin Williams.

The visitor’s momentum was short-lived, with an onslaught of chances following for the Town. An error from Aberystwyth’s Ben Davies gifted the ball to Owen who’s cross found Ollie Hulbert but the league’s top scorer’s strike was parried away routinely for a corner by Dave Jones.

The Black and Greens once again survived, with Owen Cuddihy and Ryan Kavanagh both seeing their shots blocked heroically on the line by Iwan Lewis.

Cuddihy was in the thick of the action again, linking up effectively with Hulbert to create a string of good chances.

Aberystwyth weren’t without their chances but again struggled to take advantage with Jonathan Evans scuffing a shot wide from the edge of the area on 28 minutes.

A fine save was needed by Jones to deny a curling Kavanagh free kick, and Owen sliced the rebound wide to keep the advantage at one.

The away side came close to grabbing a goal back just before halftime when Rico Patterson’s free kick had the full attention of Armstrong who was relieved to see it sail wide.

The second half saw the league’s bottom side start with a bit more conviction, making for an end-to-end period of the game. Iwan Lewis blasted a shot wide early on and Patterson came close shortly after but saw his effort fly past the top right corner.

Barry were quick to respond as Cuddihy rattled the woodwork with a close-range header. Jones made a pair of important saves from Hulbert and Kavanagh respectively, with the latter struggling to keep down his header on the rebound.

A chaotic sequence on 70 minutes saw Aberystwyth unsuccessfully appeal for a penalty in the Barry box, only for Ollie Hulbert to go unnoticed and fly through the offside trap at the other end before being chased down and forced into narrowly missing the target.

Substitute Kayne McLaggon almost made a winning impact off the bench, as in the 85^th minute he burst onto the counterattack and played through Owen and was yet again shut down by an excellent save by Jones.

Barry hearts sank in the final minute of regulation as Rico Patterson’s thunderous strike flew past Armstrong to restore parity. The hosts however managed to use this to spur them on, and Eliot Richards proved to be the super sub as on 92 minutes his header bounced and narrowly crept under the bar to earn his side a well-deserved 3 points.

Barry face 3^rd place Flint Town United on Saturday, 22nd March, looking to continue a good run of form and solidify their spot at the top of the Play-off Conference.

Match Report | Barry Town 3 – 2 Connah’s Quay Nomads | Cymru Premier

9^th November 

Super sub Ieuan Owen scores silky solo run to give Barry three points in action packed affair at Jenner Park.

Going into the match manager Steve Jenkins continued to rotate the squad, this time wingback pair Michael George and Joshua Beecher came into the starting XI as Keenan Patten replaced Ryan Kavanagh in midfield.

The visitors started with intensity; a dangerous Declan Poole cross called Town defender Ben Margetson into action early who earnt a goal kick with his clearance ricocheting off Nomads’ Daniel Roberts.

In the fifth minute Luc Rees’s goal kick was met by a smart Samual Snaith flick on into the path of Ollie Hulbert, who was met by a strong challenge from John Disney, the resulting freekick forced Nomads keeper George Ratcliffe into action, Robbie Willmott’s effort arched over the wall towards Ratcliffe’s bottom right corner before it was met by the glove of the Nomads no.1.

Soon after Town’s Callum Sainty had a busy few minutes with headed clearances to prevent Poole’s effort from distance and a dangerous Rhys Hughes cross. He too denied a close ranged strike from Jack Kenny to keep the tie level.

In the 13^th minute Connah’s Quay Ben Nash found himself unmarked in the box, but his poorly directed header was off target and swept up by Barry’s no.1.

Barry utilised Snaith’s height again to play through Hulbert, but Town’s 22 found himself sandwiched between defensive pair Nash and Kai Edwards who blocked his effort to threaten Ratcliffe.

Barry was forced to make two quick substitutions with Hulbert and Elliot Richards forced off the field with injury and replaced by Ryan Kavavagh and Kayne McLaggon.

The Town took the lead in the 22^nd minute, a brilliant team move was rounded off by McLaggon’s strike to the low right side of Ratcliffe. Kavanagh started the move with a smart bit of skill to beat his man, the ball was moved through the midfield quickly by Keenan Patten, who fired the ball into the feet of Snaith on the edge of the area. Snaith chipped the ball over Nomad defender Edwards to McLaggon, who shrugged of Nash and sent his strike past the keeper.

After the opener the Town took control of the tie and nearly double their lead in the 30^th minute through McLaggon again. Kavanagh dispossessed Ben Maher and drove the ball down field, with his pass feeding through Barry’s no.7, as he pulled the trigger the leg of Poole denied him the chance to double the lead. Minutes later Joshua Beecher drove the ball downfield and cut it across to the oncoming Patten who pulled his shot wide left of the goal.

Just shy of halftime the visitors had an opportunity to bring the score level, Poole sent the ball into the Town’s box which was met by the unmarked Maher who directed his header high over the bar.

The Nomads looked to bring the score even straight after halftime, substitute Luca Hogen fired his shot into the side netting again off that back of a threatening Poole cross.

The Town almost doubled their advantage in the 50^th minute, a well-worked move between Beecher and Patten carved through the visitor’s defence, the latter’s cut back trickled through the box and fell to the feet ofMichael George before his miscued attempt fired off the woodwork to his despair.

Despite their lack of chances on goal Connah’s Quay clinically equalised in the 58^th minute, Poole’s low cross bounced across the Town’s penalty area into the path of Hughes, who’s first time strike curled into the bottom right corner.

With fresh legs on the field the matches intensity cranked right up with both teams hunting to take the lead, efforts from respected forwards McLaggon and Kenny were dealt with comfortably by their opposites.

The Town did take the lead in the 73^rd minute with substitute Ieuan Owen, who positioned himself perfectly at the back post to tap home Kavanagh’s wayward effort.

Hughes replied for the Nomads in fine fashion with his 25-yard freekick curling into the top corner, just out of reach from the claw of Rees to keep the Town in front. The goal resulted from a tactical shirt pull from Kavanagh on Callum Bratley who beat him with a quick shift of the ball.

The Town replied with the winner instantly, the ball dropped to McLaggon just inside his own half, under pressure he poked the ball around the corner into the feet of Owen, who put his head down and drove the ball past Roberts and Disney, both of whom were determined to chop him down, one-on-one Owen slotted the ball past Ratcliffe to his bottom left corner and sent Jenner Park into ecstasy.

Late brave defending from duo Rees and Sainty ensure the Town take all three points, the latter provided a crucial block deep in added time, keeping Barry firmly in the run for the Championship round with six games left to play.

The Town look to build on this impressive performance with a trip to Caernarfon in a fortnights time, Ko 2:30pm.

Barry Town 3 – 2 Connah’s Quay Nomads

Barry Town: Rees, George, Beecher, Sainty, Margetson (Owen 65’), E Richards (Kavanagh 13’), Snaith (, Patten, Willmott, Hulbert (McLaggon 19’), Press Subs: Masrani, McLaggon (Hulbert 19’), Lewis, Owen, Richards, Bright, Kavanagh (E Richards 13’).

Connah’s Quay Nomads: Ratcliffe, Disney, Roberts, Nash, Edwards, Kenny, Maher (Hogan 45’), Edwards, Pownall (Bratley 77’), Hughes, Poole Subs: Rushton, Dugan, Bratley (Pownall 77’), Hogan (Maher 45’), Flanders.

Match Report | Barry Town 1 – 4 The New Saints | Cymru Premier

2^nd November

Barry was defeated 4 – 1 by a well-drilled TNS side at Jenner Park.

A quality long-ranged strike from Leo Smith helped earn the visitors three points over a rallied Town performance. Samuel Snaith found the roof of the net for the Town in the 36^th minute to half the visitor’s deficit, but accompanying finishes from Declan McManus, Dany Davies and Ashley Baker ended Barry’s three-game win streak.

A single change was made to Steve Jenkins’ side, Ryan Kavanagh replaced Keenan Patten in midfield. Jenkins watched on from the stands following his caution at Barry’s 2-1 victory over Flint Town last Saturday.

The visitors started the game with intensity barraging the Town’s box with crosses, but Barry’s defensive trio rose highest on every occasion to clear the danger and prevent TNS from going ahead early.

Snaith had a half chance to put the Town ahead in the 13^th minute, Ollie Hulbert was key in the build-up to hound and dispossess TNS keeper Connor Roberts, from an acute angle Snaith shot was sent high over the empty goal to his frustration.

Shortly after Roberts was forced to save with his feet after a quick break from Hulbert and Snaith, the latter’s through ball broke the line of TNS and found Evan Press through on goal, his left footed strike met a strong boot which kept the tie level.

A quick double from the visitors gave them a two-goal cushion. In the 28^th minute TNS’s Danny Davies slotted the ball into the bottom right corner and a minute later Ashley Baker extended their lead, following a scramble for possession in box his effort found the back of the net despite a wall of Town bodies in the way.

Barry’s Luc Rees provided a quick double save to keep the Town alive in the match, the latter nearly an own goal from Callum Sainty. 

Samuel Snaith scored Barry’s only goal of the day in the 36^th minute, the ball trickled through the box following a corner which found the open no.9 at the back post, he poked the ball into the roof of the net to cut TNS’s lead in half, and sparked a small period of Barry dominance.

McManus was eager to restore the visitors’ two-goal advantage and did so right before halftime, in the 46th minute, a cross from teammate Leo Smith found the unmarked no.9, who directed the ball past Rees into the right side of the goal.

The second 45 started tamer than expected with neither Rees nor Roberts called into action until the 57^thminute. Town’s no.1 displayed more great goalkeeping, this time to deny a powerful Ben Clark strike from close range.

Barry remained determined to reduce the scoreline for a second time in the match, Press’s deft cross from the right wing found Hulbert at the back post but his headed attempt went just wide of the post.

In the 65^th minute the visitors built on their lead to make it 4-1, Clark dispossessed Josh Yorwerth on the edge of his box and played a square pass to the oncoming Smith who’s distanced effort curled into the top right-hand corner.

The Town failed to create a clear-cut chance for the remainder of the match until substitute Ieuan Owen forced a stop out of TNS goalkeeper Roberts in 83^rd minute, a loose ball was quickly pounced on by Owen inside the visitor’s box and drilled low to the near post, but it was met by a strong glove.

The town fort to win the ball for the remainder of the match but the visitors found space over the top to pen back Barry from kickstarting a late comeback.

Jenkins’s side have a week until their next tie as they play back-to-back games at Jenner Park, this time they’re met by Connah’s Quay Nomads at 14:30pm on the 9^th November.

Barry Town: Rees, Sanity, Margetson, Yorwerth, Richards (George 84’), Snaith (Owen 75^’), Willmott, Hulbert (McLaggon 68’), Press, Bright (Beecher 68’), Kavanagh (Lewis 75’) Subs: Armstrong, George (Richards 84’), Beecher (Bright 68’), McLaggon (Hulbert 68’), Lewis (Kavanagh 75’), Owen (Snaith 75’), W Richards.

The New Saints: Roberts, Pask, Bodenham, McManus (Jay-Oteh 78’), Redmond (Bradley 78’), D Williams (Holden 68’), J Williams (Brobbel 68’), Clark, Smith (Wilson 78’), Davies, Baker Subs: Karolak, Brobbel (J Williams 68’), Jay-Oteh (McManus (78’), Holden (D Williams 68’), Bradley (Redmond 78’), Wilson (Smith 78’), Doforo.