WELSH FOOTBALL WEEKEND FIXTURES
FRIDAY, MAY 10
NEWFA Macron Men’s Senior Challenge Cup Final
Flint Mountain v Mold Alexandra
SATURDAY, MAY 11
Lock Stock Ardal North East (2.30 pm)
Bow Street v Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
Builth Wells v Dolgellau AA
Cefn Albion v Llanuwchllyn
Llandrindod Wells v Llanfair United
Lock Stock Ardal North West (2.30 pm)
CPD Y Felinheli v Flint Mountain
Llay Welfare v CPD Llannefydd
Saltney Town v St Asaph City
Llanrwst United v Brickfield Rangers (Sunday, May 12)
PREVIEWS
North East Wales FA Challenge Cup final
Two treble-chasers will meet head on in the NEWFA Challenge Cup final on Friday evening at Ruthin Town.
Cymru North outfit Mold Alexandra, who have already lifted national and northern WBS League Cups, take on Ardal North West leaders and Ardal Northern Cup semi-finalists Flint Mountain on the Memorial Playing Fields.
It should be a cracking battle, with Tier 3 giant-killers Mountain having already knocked out Cymru North sides Buckley Town and Holywell Town in this competition during 2023-24.
Aden Shannon’s side, strong favourites to lift the Ardal North West title and claim promotion to the Tier 2 Cymru North, also made it all the way to the Welsh Cup quarter-finals this term.
Mold, meanwhile, this season achieved their highest Cymru North position of fourth, as well as beating Llandudno in the WBS League Cup Northern final before stunning favourites Briton Ferry Llansawel to scoop the national prize as well.
Two teams which have had magnificent seasons – but something has to give on the night.
Can Mountain see off another higher-level opponent, or will it be the Alex’s night to complete a trophy treble.
It should be really close and I just edge towards Mold given the dynamic way they are ending the season.
SCORECAST
Flint Mountain 1 Mold Alexandra 2
Ardal North East
With Bow Street having withdrawn their application for Tier 2 status, the incentive is there for Llanuwchllyn to finish runners-up and enter the Cymru North promotion play-off final.
Saturday sees Sion Tudor’s Llan travel to Cefn Albion, whose form has been patchy, although they did record an impressive 2-0 win at Rhos Aelwyd on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, with what’s at stake, we expect a Llanuwchllyn victory.
Bow Street can keep their hold on second spot with a home win against Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.
Victories for Bow and Llanuwchllyn would leave both on 62 points with one game apiece left.
Builth Wells versus Dolgellau – sixth against fourth – is another potential corker which could go either way. We lean towards a draw.
Llandrindod Wells have gone off the boil and may have to settle for a share of the points with improving Llanfair United.
SCORECASTS
Bow Street 3 Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant 0
Builth Wells 2 Dolgellau AA 2
Cefn Albion 1 Llanuwchllyn 2
Llandrindod Wells 1 Llanfair United 1
Ardal North West
Llay Welfare can all but clinch second place and a promotion play-off spot with a home win over Llannefydd on Saturday.
This week, the Wrexham area side were dealt a blow when their application for a Tier 2 licence was rejected at the first attempt by the FAW.
Without the licence, Llay cannot go up to the Cymru North, but they have appealed against the FAW’s decision.
In the meantime, they need to wrap up that runners-up berth but could be left waiting after this weekend with Llannefydd more than capable of taking a point at The Ring.
After a long winning run, Welfare have lost their last two.
According to the fixtures, leaders Flint Mountain will be expected to play a league game at Y Felinheli on Saturday, the night after taking on Mold Alex in the NEWFA Challenge Cup Final.
More news is awaited on this, but if Mountain are forced to play twice in less than 24 hours, it will be a tough task notching the three points they need for the title against a side near the bottom and battling hard for survival.
Bottom side Saltney Town will end their campaign at home to St Asaph City, who should take maximum points at the Dragon Steel Stadium.
Llanrwst United were brilliant 3-1 winners over Holyhead Hotspur last Sunday – can they repeat the dose on the Sabbath at home to Brickfield Rangers?
No reason why not, although the Rwsters did lose at home in midweek to Llangefni Town.
Brickfield are a steady outfit who could pick up at least a draw at Parc Gwydir.
SCORECASTS
CPD Y Felinheli 2 Flint Mountain 2 (if played)
Llay Welfare 1 CPD Llannefydd 1
Saltney Town 0 St Asaph City 2
Llanrwst United 1 Brickfield Rangers 1
