CAERNARFON Town missed the chance to secure their place in the JD Cymru Premier’s top six before the league splits into phase two, falling to a frustrating 2–1 defeat against Colwyn Bay on Saturday.

A win would have mathematically guaranteed the Canaries a spot in the Championship Conference, but with two fixtures still remaining, their fate remains in their own hands.

Richard Davies’ side now face a crucial trip to Bala Town on Wednesday before rounding off phase one at home to Connah’s Quay Nomads on Friday, 9 January.

The manager made no attempt to hide his disappointment after the final whistle, telling Sgorio that his team had let a golden opportunity slip.

“We had two chances in the opening nine minutes and we should have been 2–0 up,” Davies said.

“Moments like that are massive in football. If we take them, it’s a totally different game.

“They’re good at what they do — they put balls into the box and compete for everything. Fair play to them, they defended for their lives, but we’ve left three or four goals out there and that’s frustrating.”

Davies also lamented his side’s lack of composure after pulling a goal back late on. “We panicked a little bit in the final third when we needed calm heads and the right decisions. It just wasn’t our day.”

Caernarfon started brightly and should have taken the lead when Josh Lock won possession inside his own half and surged down the left.

He squared to Sion Bradley, who cut inside and unleashed a powerful effort, only to be denied by a superb save from Alex Brown when a first-time shot might have been the better decision.

Moments later, Lock glided past Aeron Edwards and combined with Bradley again, the TNS loanee flicking the ball into the path of Darren Thomas, whose first‑time strike drifted wide.

Colwyn Bay grew into the game and almost struck on 12 minutes when Nathan Peate smashed a loose ball against the foot of the post following a free kick. Three minutes later, Peate made no mistake, latching onto a Louis Robles cross to give the hosts the lead.

Caernarfon came out firing after the break, and Lock was again at the heart of their best moments.

He beat his man and unleashed a thunderous strike that cannoned off the bar, with Brown getting the faintest of touches.

Robles then had a goal ruled out for offside before Bay doubled their advantage just after the hour mark, Jamie Cumming curling a superb effort into the corner after excellent work from Edwards.

The Canaries were handed a lifeline when Daniel Gosset’s shot was handled by Peate, allowing Bradley to calmly send Brown the wrong way from the spot.

Caernarfon pushed hard for an equaliser, but Bay defended with determination, and the closest the visitors came was a Paulo Mendes effort that Brown palmed away at his near post.

Caernarfon now turn their attention to Bala, knowing a win would put them back on track in their pursuit of a top‑six finish.

Fixtures: Wednesday, 31 December - Bala Town v Caernarfon Town; Briton Ferry Llansawel v Barry Town United; Connah’s Quay Nomads v The New Saints; Thursday, 1 January - Colwyn Bay v Fflint; Llanelli v Penybont.