Louis Holbrook
8 Mar 2023
After a break in fixtures, Pontypridd United return to action in Phase 2 of the JD Cymru Premier with a home tie vs playoff chasers Caernarfon Town.
In the first three fixtures of Phase 2 for the JD Cymru Premier, both Pontypridd and Caernarfon have the same record, having won two games and drawn one.
In the two previous meetings earlier this season, Caernarfon beat Ponty 2-0 at The Oval, while The Dragons got revenge by beating the Canaries 3-1 at the USW Sport Park. Ponty will be hoping to continue their excellent form and make it five consecutive wins at home with a victory over Caernarfon.
Caernarfon currently sit at the top of the bottom half of the split with 32 points, compared to Pontypridd’s 27. It’s a game of great importance for Ponty because if they beat Caernarfon,
they will have the opportunity to close the gap on Flint Town United, who sit on 28 points, and more importantly, create a bigger point difference between them and Aberystwyth, who have 26 points.
Recent signings Ben Margetson and Tom Davies are players to keep an eye on for Ponty. Margetson scored, assisted, and kept a clean sheet on his debut vs Airbus, while Davies also has a goal, two assists and a clean sheet from his first two appearances in a Pontypridd shirt.
Kieran Lewis is also another name to keep an eye on having put in a player of the match performance in the Dragon’s last game vs Haverfordwest County. Having gone 1-0 down, Lewis first got the assist for Jarrad Wright’s equaliser, before scoring a wicked free kick to win the game against his former club.
With Ponty having threats all over the pitch, Caernarfon will look to counter it with their own strengths. Number 8, Danny Gosset and Number 11, Robert Hughes have both caused havoc for all their opponents this season, so the Dragons are going to have to be wary of the quality they possess. Ponty will also have to keep tabs on Darren Thomas who is Caernarfon’s top goal scorer this season, with six goals, and was on the score sheet when the sides met last time out.
With both teams having the same records in Phase 2, the game is evenly split, and the points could go either way. The Dragons have home advantage and have created a real buzz around the squad which they hope will get them the upper hand over Caernarfon and prove again why they are deserving of a place in the Welsh top division.
Head to Head:
Pontypridd United:
● Last 5 matches: LLWDW
● Place in the table: 4th
● Total Points: 27
● Top Goalscorer: Ben Ahmun (10)
● Last meeting: Pontypridd United 3 - 1 Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town:
● Last 5 matches: WLWWD
● Place in the table: 1st
● Total Points: 32
● Top Goalscorer: Darren Thomas (6)
● Last meeting: Pontypridd United 3 - 1 Caernarfon Town