DIVISION Two leaders Croesyceiliog bid to stretch their unbeaten start to the season to 13 tonight, while Caldicot Town and Risca United meet in a derby at Jubilee Way, writes Terry Daley.

Tonight (7.30pm)

Division Two (figures in brackets relate to table positions of 16)

Woodland Road: Croesyceiliog (1) v Caerau (Ely) (3).

What a difference a year makes! At this stage in 2017-2018, Croesyceiliog had earned only 12 points from four wins and eight defeats.

Now it is 24 points from a run of 8-4-0, and with striker Zac Osbourne already on 17 league goals, The Cockerels are tagged as genuine title contenders.

Victory is essential here though as it will give them an 11-point advantage over the capital visitors, who have three matches in hand.

Unbeaten-in-five Caerau are a decent side with a sequence of conceding only six goals in losing just one of nine league fixtures.

Last-six guide: Croesyceiliog: W W D W W D; Caerau (Ely): L W W D W W

Jubilee Way: Caldicot Town (4) v Risca United (12).

Following an inauspicious start, Caldicot suddenly find themselves in the position of trying to achieve a fifth consecutive league success.

A goal record of 17 from four straight wins puts them as the division’s second-top scorers on 32, and they conceded just three times in that quartet of matches.

Risca tend to blow hot and cold and are on the opposite end of the scale because they are the fourth worst team in the section’s last-six table.

The Cuckoos must also recover from a 5-0 away defeat against Swansea University and have not won in their last two visits to this venue.

Last-six guide: Caldicot: D L W W W W; Risca: D W D L W L

Tomorrow (2.00pm)

Division One

Plough Road: Goytre (11) v Taffs Well (15).

Goytre ended a poor run for form by winning 2-0 at home against county rivals Cwmbran Celtic last time out.

But that was three weeks ago and they have since lost 6-3 at divisional rivals Pontypridd Town in a Welsh Cup tie.

Nonetheless, this match does afford them with a fairly reasonable opportunity of earning their fourth win in 11 starts.

Taffs Well are really struggling and have not won a league match since defeating visiting Cwmamman United on September 22.

Last-six guide: Goytre: D L L L L W; T. Well: W L L D L L

Kymco Stadium, Bryntirion: Penybont (1) v Cwmbran Celtic (3).

Celtic will begin on a high following their fine, 3-1 home triumph over second-placed Haverfordwest County and have new midfield signing Dan Battle available following his move from Division Two side Risca United.

That was an important outcome because they had previously shipped six goals without reply in losing twice on the trot.

Celtic usually respond well to a difficult challenge and certainly they don’t come any harder than this particular one.

Table-topping Penybont are unbeaten in eight league outings and managed to net 22 goals in winning the last six.

Last-six guide: Penybont: W W W W W W; Celtic: W D W L L W

The Causeway: Undy Athletic (8) v Port Talbot Town (15).

A run of only one victory in four has thwarted Undy’s hopes of being in the mix of those teams chasing the title.

However, they have already proved they are more than capable of putting together a good run of positive results.

It is also worth noting that Undy have played seven of their eight league matches away from this venue.

Winless-in-eight Port Talbot have experienced on and off-the-field problems in recent seasons and have only Taffs Well below them.

Last-six guide: Undy: D W L W L D; P. Talbot: L D L L L D

Division Two

Pen-Y-Pound Stadium: Abergavenny Town (2) v Aberbargoed Buds (10).

This is a much-anticipated derby between two sides with excellent records although, amazingly, this is only Aberbargoed’s sixth league match.

Cup commitments and postponements mean they have played nine less than one other side and have not appeared in the league since October 6.

Abergavenny, though, have been playing regularly, and a magnificent run of seven straight wins was ended by a 1-1 home draw with STM Sports (Cardiff).

That points to a victory for the home team although, of course, the visitors will have much to say about that and certainly a draw would not harm either.

Form guide: Abergavenny: W W W W W D; Aberbargoed: W W W D W

The Willows High School, Tremorfa, Cardiff: Bridgend Street (6) v Monmouth Town (8).

Inconsistency means Monmouth occupy only a mid-table position, although they were 4-0 away victors over bottom-placed Aberdare Town most recently.

They are reasonably sound defensively and, indeed, have let in five fewer goals than leaders Croesyceiliog, having played only one game less.

But nine of their 23 goals came from just two of 11 games, so they simply must better that ratio if they are to close the 12-point gap to the table-toppers.

The unbeaten-in-three hosts are only a couple of points better off from the same amount of games and have won three of their four home fixtures.

Last-six guide: B. Street: W L L W D D; Monmouth: W W L D L W

Division Three

Larkfield Park: Chepstow Town (9) v Trefelin B.G.C. (2).

Chepstow must find a way to get over three straight defeats in which they shipped 13 goals and scored only three.

Before that poor sequence of results, they were putting in some decent displays - so the basics are there to mount a successful recovery.

Certainly the immediate aim is to improve home displays, which so far have garnered only four out of a possible 12 points.

Unbeaten-in-six Trefelin have lost just once in 10 and have won all three of their away games - including keeping clean-sheets in the last two.

Last-six guide: Chepstow: W D W L L L; Trefelin: W W W D W W

Newport Stadium: Newport City (13) v Pontyclun (3).

City have had a couple of weeks off since being defeated 3-2 by hosts Panteg, an outcome which prevented them from gaining a third successive victory.

They may be fourth from bottom, but City’s goals-against tally of 19 is not all that bad, only five more than leaders Trethomas - both from 11 games.

City will be seeking some sort of revenge because they lost 2-1 at Pontyclun in their fourth match of the campaign back in August.

The visitors are clearly title contenders with only one reverse in nine and will go top if they win the two matches in hand they have over Trethomas.

Last-six guide: City: L D L W W L; Pontyclun: W D D W W W

Leisure Centre, Stable Lane: Tredegar Town (6) v Ely Rangers (16).

Credit to Tredegar for posting some decent recent results following a drab series of negative outcomes.

Indeed a run of six without success saw them previously slip down to just above the division’s bottom three.

Now they find themselves just nine points off the top and certainly a top-four spot could soon be theirs

provided current form is maintained.

Ely scored 10 goals in posting home and away wins over Caerau (Maesteg) and Chepstow respectively, but have since lost five consecutive fixtures.

Last-six guide: Tredegar: D L L L W W; Ely: W L L L L L

Bush Park: Treowen Stars (11) v Albion Rovers (14).

With just one win from six, Treowen have dropped down the table and need to mount a recovery campaign sooner rather than later.

It’s not beyond them to achieve that though, and a match against one of the five teams below them offers them a good chance.

That explained, Albion will surely start on a massive high after earning their first victory of the season - at the ninth attempt. And it wasn’t just any old win, it was 2-1 against the visiting leaders Trethomas - so this could also be the ideal match for them as well.

Last-six guide: Treowen: D L W D L L; Albion: L D D L L W

Gwent County League (2.00pm)

Division One: Caerleon v Blaenavon Blues; Lliswerry v P.I.L.C.S,; Newport Civil Service v Cwmbran Town; Pill YMCA v Ynysddu Welfare; Villa Dino Christchurch v RTB Ebbw Vale; Wattsville v Abertillery Bluebirds.

Division Two: Abertillery Excelsiors v Clydach Wasps; Lucas Cwmbran v New Inn; Machen v Newport Corinthians; Marshfield v Brynmawr; Pentwynmawr Athletic v FC Tredegar; Rhymney v Rogerstone.

Division Three: Cefn Fforest v Crickhowell; Coed Eva Athletic v Oak FC; Nantyglo v Newport Saints; Ponthir v Cromwell Youth; Race v Usk Town.