Newtown 1 Caernarfon Town 0

FUMPA Mwandwe scored the only goal of the game as Newtown sealed a top three finish in the JD Cymru Premier this afternoon.

Victory over Caernarfon Town completed a clean sweep of four league and one cup victory over the north Wales side while also ensuring Chris Hughes' men of their highest finish in his tenure.

Indeed, in past seasons the victory would have been enough to seal a place in the Europa Conference play-offs but Wales' loss of a European place this summer means the battle continues for second place.

Newtown now head to Bala Town on Friday with both sides level on points in the race for second place.

Neither side created many early openings in a muted start to proceedings with the home side looking to exploit the pace of Mwandwe to no avail.

The visitors also struggled to create with Sion Bradley's 15th minute cross failing to trouble home stopper Dave Jones in their best spell of the opening period.

Newtown gradually got on top without penetrating the visiting defence while Caernarfon had another chance on 29 minutes with Danny Gosset blasting over with a 30 yard free-kick.

Five minutes later Newtown threatened with Naim Arsan's dipping cross from the edge of the left hand side of the area headed wide by Aaron Williams.

However seconds later and the Robins led as Mwandwe raced onto a glorious throughball from Nick Rushton to slot past an advancing Jacub Ojrzynski.

Caernarfon endured a few nervous moments as Newtown continued to press and almost doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time only for Aaron Williams to steer over Mwande's low left wing cross.

READ MORE:

Caernarfon began the second-half on top but despite their possession the Robins defence stood defiant and weathered the early storm.

Newtown forced three successive corners around the hour with Joe Faux heading Craig Williams' inswinger off the line before Aaron Williams follow up was deflected wide.

Caernarfon threatened soon after with Bradley cutting a low right cross for Noah Edwards who fired wide at the near post.

The Robins almost put the game to bed with 15 minutes remaining with Rushton and Mwandwe linking to feed Jake Walker whose weighted cross field pass to Arsan saw the ex-TNS youngster fire inches wide under pressure from Ojrzynski.

Caernarfon laid siege on the home goal late on with Rushton and Callum Roberts forced into vital interceptions as the Canaries threw caution to the wind.

It would prove to no avail as the Robins closed ranks to see out the remainder of the game and set up a crucial trip to Bala Town on Friday.

Newtown: Jones, Sears, Sutton, Mwandwe (Breese 89), Rushton (Guest 88), A Williams, C Williams, Ismail (Davies 46), Hughes, Walker, Arsan (Roberts 82). Subs: M Williams, Taylor, Mills-Evans,

Caernarfon Town: Ojrzynski, Cartwright, Bailey (Beaumont-Broadhead 46), Donohue, Bradley (C Jones 73), Gosset, Hayes, Hughes (Williams 20), Edwards, Simpson, Faux. Subs: French, Dafydd.