Ardal North West – Porthmadog record biggest league win in 21 years and hit top spot
LOCK STOCK ARDAL NORTH WEST – REPORTS MARCH 18 & 19
Porthmadog 10 (Littlemore 3, Rhys Alun 2, Lewis 2, Banks 2, J Williams)
Brymbo 0
Porthmadog equalled their biggest league win in 21 years as they blitzed to the top of tier 3 Ardal North West.
Friday’s 10-0 thrashing of Brymbo matched Port’s victory by the same score over Holywell Town in the Cymru Alliance League back on April 14, 2001.
Both Carl Owen and Emyr Jones scored four goals each on that occasion.
Port’s heaviest league win since that whipping of the Wellmen had been a 9-0 success at Cemaes Bay in April 2003.
However, the Traeth men did triumph 10-0 in a cup game as recently as five years ago. They hammered FC Penley by that margin in the Welsh Cup on November 4, 2017.
As for any wins higher than 10-0, that is one for the club historians.
Since joining the new League of Wales in 1992-93, Port had always – until this current season – played in the top two tiers of Welsh football, which has made racking up regular huge wins difficult.
Their biggest LoW victories are 9-0, against Abergavenny Thursdays in 1993 and Haverfordwest County in 1994.
Friday’s game
Report: Mr Treflyn Jones
Port opened their account courtesy of Rhys Alun on three minutes as he calmly side-footed home past Reece Airey from a pinpoint left wing assist by Julian Williams.
Two minutes later, it took a timely tackle by Euron Roberts to foil a quick counter by the Steelmen.
Then, on 19 minutes, the visitors got themselves into a terrible muddle in their own box to allow the unmarked Julian Williams to drive the ball into the corner of the net and put Port 2-0 up.
A minute later, Paul Lewis blasted home on the half-volley.
John Littlemore then took centre stage with a hat-trick before half time.
The Anglesey-based striker knocked in his first after great work down the left from Cai Parry.
Julian Williams and Marcus Banks respectively provided the assists for Littlemore’s second and third. Half-time: 6-0.
Brymbo’s situation was even bleaker when defender Kai Jackson saw red for dissent shortly before the interval.
Ten-man Brymbo defended doggedly after the break and it was not until the closing 15 minutes that more goals arrived.
Lewis made it 7-0 with a thumping header from a Stuart Rogers corner before Rhys Alun produced a header of a similarly high calibre following excellent work by Julian Williams on the right.
In the final two minutes, it was the turn of Marcus Banks to enter the limelight. Keeper Airey fumbled a header and Banks was on hand to blast home after an assist by Gareth Jones Evans.
Two minutes later, Jones Evans again picked out the Pwllheli–based Banks, who smashed a fantastic scissors kick into the roof of the net.
Saturday, March 19
Brickfield Rangers 5 Rhostyllen 2
Three goals from Andy Vale and a Haci Ozlu double led the Bricky to a convincing win in this Wrexham derby.
Rhostyllen’s scorers were Warren Aykroyd-Duckett and Michael Pritchard, whose red card on the half-hour left the visitors up against it for the rest of the game.
CPD Y Felinheli 2 Denbigh Town 2
Rhys Parry’s equaliser five minutes into added time secured a point for Felinheli.
Goals from Sam Jones and Jake Walker, on 69 and 78 minutes respectively, had put Denbigh 2-1 up, Iwan Edwards having edged Euron Davies’ men ahead midway through the second half.
Llanrwst United 5 Blaenau Amateurs 0
Callum Parry (2), Sam Jones, Gruffudd Evans and a Sion Wyn Jones own goal ensured an emphatic win for Llanrwst at Gwydir Park.
Llanuwchllyn 3 Llay Welfare 0
Dan Dascalu (2) and Owain ap Gareth shared the goals in fifth-place Llanuwchllyn’s home triumph over Llay.
Ilan Hughes also missed a penalty for the hosts, while Welfare’s Jonny Taylor was shown a red card in added time.
Rhydymwyn 1 Llandudno Albion 1
All-square at the Mornflake Mighty Oats Stadium, where Nathan Mendoza’s fifth-minute strike for the hosts was cancelled out by Dan Evans’ 24th minute equaliser.