ABERYSTWYTH Town know that they will be guaranteed a place in the play-offs for the Uefa Europa League if they can win their remaining two Welsh Premier League fixtures this season.

The Seasiders, who are unbeaten in five matches, travel to Cyncoed campus this weekend needing to avoid defeat against Cardiff Metropolitan University to keep their hopes of a top seven finish alive.

An Aber win would move them two points clear at the top of the Play-off Conference ahead of the final round of matches, which sees the Seasiders travel to Carmarthen, whilst the students host relegated Llanelli.

After four successive wins, Aberystwyth lost pole position after they had to settle for a goalless draw at home to a Cefn Druids side that had beaten Cardiff Met the previous weekend.

Matthew Bishop, the newly-appointed first team manager, could take positives from the result, against a side that had beat Aber three times already this season.

“Cefn Druids are a bit of a bogey team, so we’ve found a solution to that one,” said Bishop, who has previously coached at Newport County, Aldershot and Hereford.

“It wasn’t a classic tonight, both teams have cancelled each other out, but the positive for me is that it’s a point and another clean sheet.”

Bishop added: “The most important thing is that we focus on ourselves. We’ve got to get players to full fitness, there were some tired legs.

“But they’ve put in a great shift, with two big games to go. The players can take confidence from the whole season, and I think at the end of the day they have put themselves in a great position to get themselves into Europe.”

Penrhyncoch-based Bishop, who is employed as a Senior National Coach Developer, and has returned for a second spell as the first team manager at Park Avenue.

He holds a pre-requisite Pro Licence Certificate, which ensures that Aber comply with Uefa Licensing criteria, and has joined director of football Neville Powell and assistant boss Gavin Allen on the management team.

“It’s nice to be back, in a different circumstance to when I was here last,” said Bishop, who had a spell at the helm in the 2016/17 campaign.

“The team is established, and they’ve done exceptionally well this season. It’s a stange one to come into really, as usually when you come in as a new manager things have not been going so well.

“Credit to the staff and both Nev and Gav, they have done a great job, and also big credit to the players to get themselves in this position.”

Last Friday’s match was preceded with a presentation of the league trophy to Aber’s Under 19s side, who have won the Welsh Premier Development (South) for a second successive season.

The side, managed by former first team skipper Bari Morgan, hit back to beat Risca 4-3 in their last league game last Sunday, with goals from Harri Rowe, with a brace, Josh Crowl and Liam Doherty, having trailed 2-0.

The young Seasiders, who have lost just one league match this season, finished eight points clear of runners-up Cardiff Met University.

They now progress to the national final to defend the trophy they won last year, when they take on northern champions Cefn Druids at Newtown on 6 May.