Around the League

with the Yellow Dragon

Today’s brief look around the League of Wales takes in the hunt for Europe at the top of the table, and the race to avoid relegation at the bottom.

The top four in the League of Wales:

club                  P         W        D        L         F       A      GD     PTS
1. BARRY TOWN         31        23       6         2         81      22     +59     75
2. INTER CABLETEL     31        18       6         7         58      24     +34      60
3. ABERYSTWYTH TOWN   31        16       8         7         58      47     +11     56
4. CWMBRAN TOWN       29        16       6         7         67      39    +28      54

Despite having clinched the League of Wales title several weeks ago, Barry may still play a large role in deciding who enters European competition as there remains a slight chance that an Aberystwyth win next Saturday will give them a place in Europe.

Inter Cabletel are already assured of a place in Europe, but it may need a victory over Rhyl on Saturday to ensure that it is in the Uefa Cup rather than the Intertoto in June.

However, all eyes are on Cwmbran Town to see whether they can win their three remaining League of Wales games, levelling them with Inter on points and overhauling the Cardiff club on goal difference. Entering these final weeks, Cwmbran are sure to be kicking themselves for their heavy defeats to sides at the bottom end of the table - losing 6-3 at home to Rhayader and 4-1 to Afan Lido. Indeed, that record against supposedly poor sides may hold them back as they meet three sides in the bottom third of the LoW, including Holywell, who are fighting for their LoW existence.

At the bottom of the League of Wales: at 15.04.99

                P     W     D     L         F      A      GD      Pts.     
16. RHYL FC         29     6     2     21      35     72    -37      20
17. HOLYWELL TOWN   30     2     9     19      34     82    -48      15

Should Llanelli finish second in the CC Sports Welsh League Division one, it seems inevitable that it will be Holywell who are relegated from the League of Wales. The Halkyn Road club need to win both of their matches to have any chance of staying up on merit, and may already have been relegated following Rhyl’s clash with Afan Lido at the weekend. Tonight, the Belle Vue side meet another struggling side, Connah’s Quay Nomads, knowing that a win from either game, or a draw from both will see them safe even before Holywell entertain the Europe-chasing Cwmbran Town on Saturday afternoon and Rhyl travel south to Inter Cabletel. Holywell’s chances of taking all three points from Haverfordwest may also be a little shaky - they lost 7-2 to the West Walian side in the return match.

Links to other sites on the Web

Barry Town homepage
Barry Town Matchday Magazine index

This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1999.
This article first published in the Barry Town Matchday Magazine, v Inter Cabletel, FAW Premier Cup semi-final first leg, 20.04.1999

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