Ardal Leagues play-off schedule and venues announced
Ynyshir Albions v v Pontardawe Town in the Ardal South West at The Oval on the 12th April 2022. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
The Ardal Leagues have announced the schedule and venues for the end-of-season play-offs, which are to take place this month.
In what is the first season of the Ardal Leagues after a massive overhaul of the Welsh domestic pyramid in 2020, the four divisions have almost come to a full conclusion.
A few matches are left to be played in the Ardal North West, but following successful Tier Two Licence applications and four teams finishing second in their respective divisions, plans can be made for the playoffs.
There are two places up for grabs, with one for a place in the Cymru North and the other being for the Cymru South.
Abertillery Bluebirds and Ynyshir Albions will contest the Ardal South play-off with Penydarren BGC’s The Bont Playing Fields hosting the final which will take place on Tuesday, 17 May at 7:30 pm.
Both teams have never played at the second-tier level in Wales, with Ynyshir only playing in the third level for the first time this season.
The Bluebirds meanwhile were in Division Two of the now-defunct Welsh League in 2011, but for the last few years have been in the Gwent Premier Division, before promotion in 2019.
Aber Bluebirds finished on 64 points in the South East, missing out on the league title by two points, after winning 20 of their 30 matches.
Ynyshir meanwhile finished on 68 points, winning 22 of their 30 league matches, whilst being the division’s top scorers with 85 goals.
In the North, Caersws and Porthmadog will meet at Barmouth & Dyffryn’s Wern Mynach on Saturday, 28th May at 1:00 pm.
Porthmadog have one game left in their season against league champions Mold Alexandra and will then be afforded a week’s break before their final.
Craig Papirnyk’s side have 69 points from 29 games, winning 22 matches with the best defence, having conceded just 22 goals.
Caersws meanwhile are on a high after defeating Porthmadog’s league rivals Mold Alex 1-0 in the Ardal North Cup last Saturday.
The Bluebirds finished their league season on April 30, earning 73 points from 30 matches, scoring 100 goals.
For Porthmadog, they are aiming to bounce back to the Cymru North after their relegation in 2020, whilst Caersws have not been there since 2018.
Ardal Leagues play-offs
May 17 (19:30) – Abertillery Bluebirds v Ynyshir Albions at Penydarren’s The Bont Playing Fields
May 28 (13:00) – Caersws v Porthmadog at Barmouth & Dyffryn’s Wern Mynach
