THREE is most certainly the magic number for Malpas tomorrow as they look to secure their South Wales Premier League status at St Helen’s in Swansea.

Last weekend’s crucial victory against Carmarthen Wanderers means the Bettws Lane outfit need just three more points for Division Two survival.

If Malpas do get the job done then it will be Llanelli facing the drop, although they could well be saved if top flight basement boys Ynysygerwn don’t stay in the Premier League set-up.

Llanelli condemned Tata Steel to relegation last time out but with Malpas also winning, the West Walians now seem favourites to finish second bottom.

The Swansea-Malpas match was originally set to take place earlier in the season but had to be rescheduled for tomorrow.

Ynystawe host Penarth in another rearranged game, a week after the division's six other sides completed their 2018 fixtures.

Sadly for Penarth, their woeful batting performance at St Helen’s six days ago – they were all out for 41 – cost them the chance of going for the title tomorrow. Clydach are the champions.

As for Malpas, chairman Mark Carnevale would love to see his team end the campaign on a positive note.

“It’s in our hands,” he said. “Three points is doable, if it was eight or nine we might struggle, but we’ve got a

decent crowd going down to egg the boys on.

“One or two of the lads wouldn’t mind rain to guarantee the points, but if you can’t get three points then do you deserve to stay up?

“It would be nice for us to go and get the points and feel like we’ve finished the season on a high.

“It means we would have got the results we needed to keep us in the league away from home after winning at Carmarthen.

“Carmarthen didn’t give us anything, not that they should have done, but they didn’t roll over like some others last Saturday.

“We beat them at our place so they really wanted revenge.”

On the battle at the bottom, he added: “Llanelli and Tata Steel are big clubs.

“Tata are down and we could send Llanelli down depending on what happens in the league above.

“Ynysygerwn finished bottom of Division One but I’m not sure if they are coming into our league and only one is going down.”

Malpas have struggled at times during their first season in the Premier League following last year’s promotion from the South East Wales League.

But Carnevale feels the experience they have gained this term will stand them in good stead going forward.

“It will be good to be safe and then we can go again next year,” he said. “Things will be slightly different with the experience we have gained.

“We’re not a weak team, we just took a while to get into our stride and become used to finishing teams off.

“It’s not down to ability, just that player development in a higher league.”

Malpas could be joined by Newbridge in Division Two next summer with the latter on course to finally top South East Wales League Division One.

James Morgan’s men won their top-of-the-table clash with former leaders Miskin Manor last weekend to move to the summit.

They hold an eight-point advantage with two games left, both away from home, against Tondu tomorrow and Usk the following Saturday.

Miskin entertain Brecon and then Pentyrch hoping Newbridge come unstuck in their double-header on the road.

“It would be good for Newbridge to go up as they’ve missed promotion two years running,” said Carnevale.

“They are a good team, a good club, and they’ve got a great youth system – they deserve to go up.

“Other teams turned it down but Newbridge would give their right arm to be promoted. It would be great to see them in our league.”

Elsewhere in the first division, Abergavenny host Sudbrook, Chepstow play Pontypridd and Croesyceiliog go to Usk.