Injury-hit Airbus UK Broughton go into the second part of a crucial double-header knowing another loss could signal the end of their bid for automatic Europa League qualification – but boss Andy Preece remains upbeat.
The depleted Wingmakers, missing seven first-team players, slipped to a 3-0 defeat at rivals Bala Town Sunday, leaving them three points behind the second-placed Lakesiders with only four Welsh Premier League games left.
They continue a run of five away league away games in a row by travelling to Aberystwyth, just a point adrift in fourth, for a second successive televised encounter on Sunday (1pm).
Director of football Preece, who was forced to name himself on the bench last weekend, is hoping to have Matty McGinn, Jay Owen and Lewis Short back in the squad, while wingers Ryan Wignall and Ryan Wade will also return.
Ash Williams is likely to miss out on his 100th Welsh Premier appearance again, however, and club captain Ian Kearney remains sidelined.
Preece says his side are ‘still bang in there’ in the fight for second spot.
He told The Chronicle: “There are still 12 points to play for and Bala and Aber have to play each other, so it’s wide open and we’re definitely in with a shout.
“We don’t want to lose at Aber, obviously, but even if we did we can still get second. We’ve been here and done it before, the others haven’t.”
A patched-up Airbus side started well at Maes Tegid and came close to taking the lead several times, but Bala were on their way to inflicting a heaviest defeat of the season on Preece’s side on 35 minutes.
Against the run of play, Ryan Valentine was allowed time to dink the ball to Mark Jones, who steered his shot past James Coates.
Former Wingmaker Ian Sheridan wasted a good chance from a Valentine cross before the break but Airbus fell further behind on 56 minutes when a deep free-kick was nodded back towards his own goal by Jordan Barrow and Mark Connolly stole in to head home.
Two minutes later the game was over when Rob Pearson returned a poor Coates clearance to Sheridan, whose deflected shot was collected by prolific Welsh Premier marksman Lee Hunt, who made no mistake from close range.
Preece said: “We dealt with things well initially and should have been in front, but yet again we haven’t taken our chances. I was disappointed with the second-half performance, but there haven’t been many times I’ve said that this season. We’re still bang in there.”
