Mixed fortunes for islanders in the Cymru North

JD CYMRU NORTH REPORTS – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16

Holyhead Hotspur 2 (Gibbs 10, Summers-Jones 70)
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant 1 (Griffiths 39)

Hotspur stretched their unbeaten run in the Cymru North to four matches and made it back-to-back wins at the expense of Powys visitors Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.

Goals from Jay Gibbs and Dylan Summers-Jones secured three points for Darren Garmey’s side at the New Stadium.

A bright start from Holyhead saw them dominate possession with chances falling to Gibbs, Liam Morris and Summers-Jones.

Two efforts from Dean Garmey were also cleared off the line as Llanrhaeadr held on.

Gibbs then broke the deadlock with an expertly taken free kick leaving the keeper with no chance.

However, just before half time Marc Griffiths capitalised on some slack defending to slot past Paul Pritchard in what proved to be the visitors only shot on goal.

Half-time: 1-1

More possession from Holyhead after the break resulted in opportunities for Morris, Harry Lewis and Alex Jones, but it was the excellent Summers-Jones that decided the game, cutting in from the left and rifling in to the top corner on 70 minutes.

Visiting scorer Griffiths was sent off late on.

Winning manager Garmey said: “We knew today was not going to be straight forward because at this level nothing ever is, but again we kept at the task and came away with the points that we thoroughly deserved.”

Holyhead Hotspur

Paul Pritchard
Cai Powell-Roberts
Adam Pritchard
Luke Roberts
Alex Jones
Harry Lewis
Dafydd Jones (Leon Doran 77)
Dean Garmey
Liam Morris
Jay Gibbs
Dylan Summers-Jones

Llanidloes Town 3 (Bird 38 pen, 84 pen & 90)
Llangefni Town 2 (Smith 49, Phillips 66)

A painful end for a Llangefni side which midway through the second half were on course for a repeat of their home victory against Llanidloes seven days earlier.

It all went wrong in the closing minutes for Cefni, who as well as finishing up with no points also had James Saxon, Craig Evans and manager Chris Roberts red carded.

Connor Bird’s penalty handed the Daffs a half-time lead, but early in the second period Jack Smith equalised with a cracker, then on 66 minutes a fantastic James Phillips left-foot strike from outside the area made it 2-1 to the Anglesey men.

However, Llani were awarded a second penalty on 84 minutes when Llangefni keeper Steve Sinclair was penalised for what looked like a 50-50 challenge. Bird put the kick away.

And it was Bird who clipped the Cefni wings with a 90th minute decider with cries of offside from the visitors ignored by the officials.