The New Saints secured a vital 1-0 victory over Barry Town United in a tense Cymru Premier clash on Saturday 5th September. The win keeps Craig Harrison's side one point clear at the summit of the league, a position confirmed by the latest standings.
According to a match report from the BBC, the game's only goal came in the first half, though the precise scorer was not detailed in the available data. The result extends The New Saints' impressive unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign, which now reads six wins and one draw from seven games.
The encounter was a physical affair, with referee Aaron Wyn Jones brandishing multiple yellow cards. Barry Town's N. Daley was booked in the 37th minute, while his teammate O. Brain saw yellow late on at 83 minutes. The New Saints' Z. Nolan was also cautioned in the first half. Both managers made strategic changes as the game progressed. Barry Town's Andy Legg was forced into an early substitution, bringing on J. Lester for O. Cuddihy after just half an hour.
Further changes followed after the hour mark, with The New Saints introducing B. Young and J. Williams, while Barry Town brought on D. Smith, who himself was later booked. The Saints held firm defensively to see out the narrow win, a sign of a squad that has conceded only three goals all season for a formidable +14 goal difference.
This head-to-head battle carried extra weight as it pitted first against second. With the three points, The New Saints now sit on 19 points, while Barry Town remain close behind on 18. The Saints have scored 17 goals this term, just one fewer than their rivals from Saturday. The victory continues a strong recent pattern for The New Saints in this fixture, having also won the previous meeting 1-0 back in April.
Both sides came into the match in excellent form. The New Saints' recent run includes wins over Caernarfon Town, Colwyn Bay, and Cardiff Met. Barry Town, managed by Andy Legg, had themselves strung together victories against the likes Airbus UK and Flint Town United. The latest result, however, gives Harrison's men a significant psychological edge in what is shaping up to be a two-horse race.
Craig Harrison selected a starting eleven that included goalkeeper N. Shepperd, defender D. Simeu, and midfielder D. Corness. The bench held experienced options like R. Brobbel, who came on for J. Lock late in the game. Barry Town's lineup featured E. Williams in attack and C. Sainty in midfield, with substitutes including J. Shaw and J. Bernard available.
The depth of both squads will be tested as the season progresses. Fans can review the full roster and player statistics on the club's official squad page.
Attention now turns to the next challenge. The Saints' next fixture is a home match against GAP Connah S Quay FC on 31st October. Connah's Quay currently sit third in the table, making it another key encounter. The full schedule of upcoming games can be found on the fixtures page.
Maintaining this momentum will be key for Harrison's team as they aim to build on their early lead. With a tight defence and the ability to grind out results in close games, as demonstrated against Barry Town, The New Saints have laid a strong foundation for their title defence. The team travels to face GAP Connah S Quay FC on the last day of October.
