North East Wales League – all hail champions Mynydd Isa Reserves! Plas Madoc win crunch clash, Massey makes magic
NORTH EAST WALES FOOTBALL LEAGUE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
Championship Division – latest table
Overton Recreational 5 Aston Park Rangers 2
The amazing Harry Massey netted all five goals for Overton and passed the 50-mark for the season in a stunning individual performance.
Massey’s quintet boosted his total for the season to 51 and since the turn of 2024 he has bagged 31 goals in 12 matches.
His ruthless finishing swept aside Aston Park on Wednesday night, Ben Sinclair among the away scorers.
Reserve Division latest table
Lex Reserves 4 Penyffordd Lions Reserves 1
Captain Kieron Jones and the dynamic Kian Davies pocketed a pair of goals apiece in Lex’s victory at Stansty Park.
Skipper Paul Jones produced Penyffordd’s reply.
TUESDAY, APRIL 23
Premier Division latest table
Caerwys 2 Mynydd Isa 1
Tom Gunson and Kieron Day supplied the goals which delivered three points to Caerwys, sub Sam Wainwright responding with a late penalty for Isa.
Connah’s Quay Town 5 Greenfield 2
Town returned to second spot with this win over Greenfield, Jake Leonard, Ben Howarth, Ryan Hewitt and a Lee Jones double (one penalty) sealing the honours.
Sam Edwards and Ryan Jones (pen) replied for the visitors, who had taken a first-half lead.
Lex XI 2 Penyffordd Lions 1
Magician Ricky Evans added another two goals to the hat-trick he scored for Llay Welfare Vets at the weekend, his latest double delivering Lex a superb home win over Penyffordd on Tuesday night.
The 47-year-old Evans has had a fantastic career which included stints with 12 Welsh Premier clubs and early professional experience with Oldham Athletic.
Evans scored on 56 and 78 minutes against the Lions, who had taken the lead on 47 through Simon Smith.
Josh Phillips oozed class in midfield, Nicky Chesters had a brilliant game at centre back and Liam Collo was box to box in a cracking team performance from the Lawmen.
Three players were sent off for two yellow cards – Josh Phillips and Josh Betteley for Lex and Smith for the visitors.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
Premier Division
Caerwys 2 Greenfield 2
Kieron Day and Brandon Jones both scored in the first half to hand Caerwys a 2-0 interval lead.
Ryan Jones’ double on 73 (pen) and 77 minutes rescued a point for the visitors. Riess Blair was shown a straight red card on 75 for the hosts.
Castell Alun Colts 3 Rhostyllen 4
Three goals in a two-minute spell in the second half won this incident-packed game for Rhostyllen.
Casty made the early running, goals from Louis Williams and captain Nathan Davies putting them two-up before Tom Douglas pulled one back close to half time.
Midway through the second period came three minutes of bedlam.
Davies missed a penalty for the hosts on 67, Douglas made it 2-2 after 68, Drew Wickens edged Rhostyllen ahead with 69 on the clock and Lewis Clamp struck for the visitors on 70.
Sub Ray Jones pulled one back for Colts on 88, but it was too late to save them.
Coedpoeth United 3 Corwen 1
This surprise result ended leaders Corwen’s unbeaten record.
The match was reported on in full by Grassroots North Wales at the weekend.
FC Queen’s Park 1 Penyffordd Lions 1
Ben Hughes’ 44th minute penalty gave Penyffordd an interval lead, but Sean Skimmings levelled on 54 and it ended one-apiece.
Mynydd Isa 3 Lex XI 4
Quite a contest this one.
Jay Wiles and Mark Atkinson put Isa 2-0 ahead inside 10 minutes, Finley Dyer hit back on 21 and Sam Colley made it even stevens by the break.
Two minutes into the second half, Josh Phillips made it 3-2 Lex, then Colley’s second on 68 extended the away lead, only for Wiles to hit back and set up a thrilling finish.
The Law held on for a cracking three points.
Ruabon Rovers 1 Connah’s Quay Town 2
Lee Jones’ 93rd minute decider banked the points for Town.
Jones also scored on 26 for the visitors, but missed a penalty on 66, then Peter Evans made it one-apiece after 70.
Unfortunately for them, the bottom side ended up pointless.
Championship Division
Brymbo 0 Rhydymwyn 5
Dylan Roberts and Liam Simon bagged a brace apiece for Rhydymwyn, whose other goal came via Paul Hughes.
CPD Gronant 2 FC Plas Madoc 3
This was pretty much the title decider between the two heavy-scoring runaway leaders and it was Plas Madoc who edged it.
Josh Williams and Ryan Jakovlevs (2) provided the away goals, Dylan Taylor and Aidan Bell responding.
Leaders Plas are six points clear of Gronant in second with two games apiece left. Madoc have a better goal difference of four. A point against CPD Yr Wyddgrug tonight (Friday) will mean they are crowned champions.
Johnstown 1 Overton Recreational 5
Harry Massey banged in a hat-trick for victorious Overton, Chris Bush and Oliver Nelson also on the mark, Dwayne Jones having struck first in the 21st minute for Johnstown, who had sub Chris Jones red-carded on the 90.
CPD Yr Wyddgrug 1 Holywell United 0
Luke Thomas’ 58th minute goal sealed the win for Yr Wyddgrug in this close-fought clash of mid-table rivals.
Reserve Division
Penyffordd Lions Reserves 5 Caerwys Reserves 2
Lewis Dallimore, Sam Evans, Michael Hughes and Matty Holmes (2) combined in the goal stakes to earn Lions the right result.
Nathan Swann-Jones and Adam Woosey (pen) came up with the Caerwys replies. This result meant Mynydd Isa Reserves were crowned 2023-24 Reserve Division champions.